Guadalupe Center receives $20,000 grant from Suncoast Credit Union

NAPLES, Fla. - Feb. 13, 2024 - PRLog -- Suncoast Credit Union Foundation has awarded Guadalupe Center a $20,000 grant to improve instruction and provide tuition assistance for students in the Early Childhood Education Program.

Guadalupe Center's Early Childhood Education Program, which is nationally accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), serves 535 students from 6 weeks to 5 years old across five educational campuses in Immokalee. The early learning program focuses on building academic, social, emotional and behavioral skills needed for success in elementary school and beyond.

"Suncoast has a goal of enhancing education and learning in the communities it serves, and that's what Guadalupe Center has been doing for the past 40 years," said Dawn Montecalvo, president and CEO of Guadalupe Center. "Partnerships with Suncoast and other community-minded philanthropic organizations allow us to provide academic programs that are both high-quality and affordable."

The average cost for a student in Guadalupe Center's Early Childhood Education Program is $54 per week, a rate based on household income. The remaining educational costs are covered through private philanthropy and grants. In addition to tuition assistance, grant funding from Suncoast will help Guadalupe Center purchase learning materials and classroom supplies.

Suncoast Credit Union founded the Suncoast Credit Union Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, to support educational initiatives, as well as benefit sick children and their families. The foundation is a vehicle for Suncoast to support the communities it serves and help the people who live there. Since its inception in 1990, the foundation has raised and donated over $40 million to help provide a better future for children.

"At Suncoast, we believe that education has the power to transform lives," said Kourtney Berry, executive director of the Suncoast Credit Union Foundation. "This donation is an investment in our future leaders, as the work of the early learning program helps children build a strong foundation for success."