Friendsgiving 2025: A Celebration of Creativity, Connection, and Community

Editor’s Note: Did you know there’s a private Suncoast Remake Learning Hub Facebook group dedicated to fostering connection and collaboration among those involved with Suncoast Remake Learning Days? Hosted by The Patterson Foundation and the Suncoast Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, this online community is a space to share resources, exchange ideas, ask questions, and strengthen one another’s efforts around this exciting learning festival. Click here to join.

On Wednesday, November 5th, from 4:00–5:30 PM, The Ora was buzzing with anticipation long before the program officially started. Guests began arriving a full 30 minutes early, eager to take part in our second annual Suncoast Remake Learning Days Friendsgiving celebration. Fortunately, the ever-prepared SCGLR team was already set, smiling, and ready to welcome each early bird with warmth and enthusiasm.

Friendsgiving 2025 was designed as both a joyful gathering and a meaningful learning experience — a place where individuals could deepen their understanding of Suncoast Remake Learning Days, affirm their commitment to family and parent engagement, rediscover the joy of hands-on learning, and make new connections across our vibrant regional ecosystem.

A Playful Welcome
As guests stepped onto the plaza, they were immediately greeted by the effervescent team from Homeschool STEAM, led by Monica Encarnación, who filled the air with enormous, iridescent bubbles — some so large they completely encased our bravest volunteers. Laughter, surprise, and delight set the tone for what would unfold.

Inside, participants could drop off digital devices for The Patterson Foundation’s annual Device Donation Drive, pick up a name tag, and stroll through our immersive “feedback corridor.” This hallway of wisdom showcased tips, tricks, and reflections collected from previous SRLD hosts and participants — a tribute to our community’s shared knowledge and ongoing evolution.

Hands-On Discovery in Every Direction
The outer lobby became a bustling hub of curiosity and creativity, with partners and TPF colleagues offering a wide range of hands-on experiences:

• A drone obstacle course courtesy of State College of Florida, complete with skilled guides.
• A racecar-building station and an animated Robot Dog from the Fab Lab team at Faulhaber.
• A Cardboard Challenge, which quickly transformed into the most charming cardboard village the Suncoast has ever seen.
• A Create-a-Story station where guests added a single line to one of three emerging tales. Later, Van Wezel’s own Justin Gomlak delivered a showstopping, dramatic reading of one of these stories to a delighted audience.
• A mesmerizing Magic Milk science and art activity staffed by SCGLR team members.
• And throughout the evening, Bill Wagy captured mini-interviews with attendees — preserving their reflections and excitement for future storytelling and social media features.

This engaging entry experience beautifully modeled the hands-on, minds-on learning at the heart of Suncoast Remake Learning Days.

A Room Full of Gratitude and Possibility
When the ballroom doors opened, guests entered a warmly lit space featuring a generous hors d’oeuvres buffet and gratitude trees on every table. These trees began at last year’s Friendsgiving — and this year’s attendees added new leaves of appreciation, growing our “forest of gratitude” together.

The presentation that followed — led by Beth Duda, Ben Tollefson, Leah Verier-Dunn, and Karen Windon — provided essential festival updates and an energizing vision for Suncoast Remake Learning Days 2026. A few highlights from the presentation:

Key Takeaways from the Program

• SRLD continues to grow: From 150 events and 10,000 attendees in 2022 to 379 events and over 45,900 participants in 2024 — an extraordinary testament to our region’s creativity and commitment to family engagement.
• Why SRLD matters: It strengthens parent-child relationships, expands learning beyond classrooms, showcases accessible neighborhood learning spaces, and reminds us that learning happens everywhere.
• Event Design Matters: From signage to seating, from music to hands-on exploration, every detail contributes to transforming an event from ordinary to outstanding.
• Movement and Active Learning: A lively “movement duet” demonstrated the fun and power of shifting from passive listening to active doing.
• Connection Is Key: Guests participated in a playful exercise to identify who has space, content, or an audience — sparking new partnerships on the spot.
• Tools and Resources: Attendees explored the Event Anchor Host Toolkit, checklists, run-of-show templates, and even used AI to generate event ideas using just three keywords.
• Special Announcement: A preview of All is Calm: In Concert at Patriot Plaza — a free, moving, community-wide performance on December 20th in collaboration with Asolo Repertory Theatre.

A Celebration That Left People Wanting More
As the formal program ended and the networking began, the room lit up with collaboration. Guests moved effortlessly between conversations — brainstorming, exchanging contact information, and imagining what they might co-create for SRLD 2026. Many voiced the same sentiment:

“I wish the event were longer!”

There is no greater compliment.

Friendsgiving 2025 was a shining example of what happens when community, creativity, and shared purpose come together. It reflected the heart of Suncoast Remake Learning Days — joyful learning, meaningful relationships, and a commitment to ensuring that every family across our four-county region has opportunities to learn and grow together.

As we prepare for SRLD 2026, the connections forged at Friendsgiving will ripple throughout the region, inspiring new collaborations, expanding our community of hosts, and fueling another extraordinary festival.

Thank you to every partner, presenter, volunteer, and participant who helped make this Friendsgiving such a memorable celebration.

We can’t wait to see what we create together next.