Mission:
The Mission of the Cultural Heritage Center is to promote, inform, explore and celebrate the multi-ethnic,
diverse nature of Southwest Florida through educational programs, outreach efforts and celebrations of culture. We are developing a plan for a permanent facility which would allow for the programming noted later in this newsletter.
Ethnic, religious and affiliate groups that form the core advisory board for the Cultural Heritage Center include but are not limited to: African Americans, Ukrainians, Indians, Latinos, Irish, Slovaks, Haitians, Jews, Native Americans, Germans, Greeks, Filipinos.
Partners:
Community partners include:
TEAM Punta Gorda
Punta Gorda/Englewood Beach Visitor and Convention Bureau
Blanchard House Museum
Florida Gulf Coast University at Herald Court Square
Vision and Process:
The ethnic and religious diversity of Southwest Florida has made it a rich and exciting place to live and visit.
Recently, several groups from Charlotte, Lee, Desoto and Sarasota counties came together to create a plan for a Cultural Heritage Center that would celebrate their contributions to the development and economy of this region. Several meetings, facilitated by Nancy Johnson, Executive Director of TEAM Punta Gorda were held to develop a detailed action plan.
To date, the following ethnic, religious and affiliate groups are involved: African American, East Indian, Latino, Irish, Slovak, Haitian, Jewish, Native American, German, and Filipino.
Proposed Programming:
Proposed programming includes but not limited to:
Inclusionary multi-faceted, rotating exhibits
Annual Cultural Heritage Festival
Cooking classes
Language classes
Cultural/language immersion classes
Summer language/culture camps for children and teens
Cultural lending library
Art exhibits
Partnership with Rotary Exchange Programs
Ethnic Food Festivals
Organization:
A business plan and budget are in progress
The Board of Directors has been constituted
Grants and other funding sources are being identified
501(c)3 incorporation filing is underway
The CHC has begun distributing a monthly newsletter
A Facebook page has been established
A domain name has been purchased
Contact:
Cultural Heritage Center of Southwest Florida
117 Herald Court, #211, Punta Gorda, FL 33950
941.505.0130
CulturalHeritageSWFL.com (coming soon)
Facebook.com/CulturalHeritageSWFL
