NAPLES — The Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation awarded a $125,000 grant enabling Guadalupe Center to enhance its nationally accredited Early Childhood Education Program and out-of-school programs: After-school Tutoring & Summer Enrichment Program and Tutor Corps Program.

The Early Childhood Education Program serves students ages 6 weeks to 5 years old and focuses on building academic, social, emotional and behavioral skills needed for success in elementary school and beyond. It is the only early learning program in Collier County accredited through the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) as well as the Accredited Professional Preschool Learning Environment (APPLE). The Florida Department of Children and Families recognizes Guadalupe Center as a Gold Seal Quality Care Program.

The out-of-school programs work together to ensure successful outcomes for students and to develop workforce readiness and career skills for high school students. The After-school Tutoring & Summer Enrichment Program provides academic help in reading, math and science to students in kindergarten, first and second grades. Licensed education professionals and high school students in Guadalupe Center’s college-preparatory Tutor Corps Program work in small groups and one-on-one with students to reinforce lessons and assist with homework. Younger students get additional academic support and high school students gain experience developing workforce readiness and career skills.

The academic programs aim to create endless possibilities and transform lives through a high-quality education.

“Research clearly shows that high-quality early learning programs can help reduce the achievement gap for students from low-income families, and additional instructional time after school and during the summer months helps students maintain their academic progress,” said Dawn Montecalvo, president and CEO of Guadalupe Center. “The Schulze Family Foundation has generously supported our initiatives for several years, and we are now seeing the results as our graduates go off to college and return to Immokalee as doctors, teachers, health care workers and business leaders.”

Schulze, founder of Best Buy, created his family foundation in 2004. The foundation primarily serves communities in Minnesota and Florida, awarding grants to nonprofits in the areas of human and social services, education (including college scholarships), and health and medicine.

About Guadalupe Center
Guadalupe Center is a purpose-driven nonprofit organization with proven success in creating endless possibilities for the students of Immokalee through education, as well as fostering personal and academic success that leads to economic independence. Established in 1984, Guadalupe Center is a premier, education-focused organization that delivers outstanding results: 98% of students in the nationally accredited Early Childhood Education Program meet or exceed kindergarten readiness standards; 100% of students in the After-school Tutoring & Summer Enrichment Program demonstrate significant gains in reading and math; and 100% of seniors in the college-preparatory Tutor Corps Program graduate from high school and are accepted into college, with more than 94% ultimately earning a college degree. With a mission to break the cycle of poverty through education, Guadalupe Center serves more than 1,900 students annually and is generously supported by private donors, philanthropic organizations and community partners. For more information, please visit GuadalupeCenter.org or call 239-657-7711.

About the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation
The Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation was created in 2004 by Best Buy founder, Dick Schulze, to give back to communities where he and his family live and work. The Foundation looks for meaningful investments that produce specific and measurable outcomes with a focus on human & social services, education, and health & medicine within the Twin Cities seven county metropolitan area in Minnesota and the five counties of Southwest Florida which includes Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Hendry, and Glades counties. In all of its activities, the Foundation embraces its founder’s vision to strengthen and support initiatives that lead to transformational change within our communities. For more information about the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation, please visit SchulzeFamilyFoundation.org.