Soar in 4 is marking a milestone in Manatee County this month as its first permanent Soar Lab reaches its first anniversary and plans to move forward to bring a second interactive learning lab to Tillman Elementary School in Palmetto.
The program’s journey began in 2017 when Steve and Carolyn Roskamp became concerned about the number of children in Manatee County who were reading below grade-level expectations.
The Roskamps began looking at differences between Title I schools in Sarasota and Manatee counties and found that a major distinction was a concentrated effort to reach children before they entered kindergarten. That discovery led to the creation of Soar in 4 in Manatee County.
The program was built around the idea that parents and caregivers are children’s first teachers and that learning during the earliest years can have a lasting impact on school success. Its mission is to ensure children of all backgrounds have the opportunities and support they need to succeed in school and beyond.
Soar in 4 has since grown into a community-wide early-learning initiative serving 18 ALICE, or Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed, neighborhoods in Manatee County. The free parenting program promotes literacy by helping parents learn ways to read with their children, introduce new vocabulary, build early skills and turn everyday activities into learning opportunities.
Families can participate in hands-on literacy experiences through Soar in 4 events, StoryTime programs, StoryBook Trails, neighborhood activities and partnerships with schools and community organizations. Monthly family events at The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature have also become a longstanding part of the initiative.
The program reached another milestone in September 2025 with the opening of the first Soar Lab at the Sara Scott Harllee Center, 6423 Ninth St. E. in Bradenton.
The museum-like learning space gives children opportunities to explore literacy, art, science, engineering, tinkering and outdoor discovery through hands-on play. It also provides parents and caregivers with resources and activities they can use to continue learning at home. School District of Manatee County Pre-K classrooms use the lab as part of their curriculum.
Now, Soar in 4 is preparing for another major expansion.
A second Soar Lab is planned as part of the upcoming renovation of Tillman Elementary School, 1415 29th St. E. in Palmetto. The School District of Manatee County’s $31 million Tillman project includes building system upgrades, a new roof, replacement doors and windows, kitchen renovations, campus improvements and incorporation of a Soar in 4 Lab.
Design work on the Tillman project began in April 2026.
Plans for the second lab are intended to extend access to families north of the Manatee River. A state funding request for the project describes a free, hands-on learning space where children can explore literacy, math, science, creativity and sensory play while parents and caregivers learn ways to support development at home.
The proposed Tillman lab is expected to focus on children from birth through third grade and their families, with a goal of serving more than 2,500 children and families annually. Plans call for programming during evenings, weekends and summers to make the facility more accessible to working families.
Nearly a decade after the Roskamps began looking for ways to improve early literacy in Manatee County, Soar in 4 has evolved from an early-learning initiative into a network of neighborhood programs, community partnerships and dedicated learning spaces.
The first Soar Lab’s anniversary and the planned Tillman Elementary location represent the next stage of that effort — bringing hands-on learning closer to families on both sides of the Manatee River.
