About Us

History

LAUNCH (formerly The Learning Academy) began with a grant in 2009. The Learning Academy (TLA) was founded by Dr. Karen Berkman (previous Executive Director of CARD-USF and TLA) and Susan Richmond (former Coordinator of TLA) who’ve since retired meritoriously in 2019. Dr. Berkman and Mrs. Richmond, saw a need for adult services in Florida and wanted to create a program where young adults are attending college; outside of working, they believed this is a setting where many young adults should be. Susan and Dr. Berkman worked collaboratively to develop and pilot TLA in 2009 and were instrumental in its expansion over the years.

Since its inception, over 200 students have graduated from TLA and over 100 job seekers have been served in Employment Services. TLA was the first program of its kind in the state of Florida. Today, the program has grown exponentially, now with five core focus areas and welcoming participants from across the nation.