Grace Place for Children And Families

School age programs (k-12th grades) are making an impact across our community, serving students from five elementary schools, golden gate middle school, and golden gate high school. A tailored approach meets the unique needs of different age groups. Our k-5 students learn on the Grace Place campus; older students remain at their schools with our instructors leading programs. Each program is designed to foster literacy skills; targeted academic achievement; leadership development; wellness promotion and career and college exploration. Recognizing the critical importance of early literacy, students receive 100 minutes of specialized reading instruction every week, aiming to ensure they read at grade level by 3rd grade a crucial milestone for future academic success. Continued on schedule othe middle school initiative, the innovative choice academies. Students dive deep into areas of personal interest, culminating in a final project presentation. This process not only nurtures their passion but also hones research and presentation skills.

The bright beginnings family literacy program transforms lives by engaging both parents and their young Children, from 3 months to 5 years old. Built through the foundation of the Grace Place family literacy model a licensed, copyrighted program with a structured, tested curriculum delivered by certified teachers. The results speak for themselves: 100% of our graduating 4- and 5-year-olds were developmentally ready for kindergarten, setting them up for future academic success. What sets bright beginnings apart is our requirement for parent enrollment. This unique approach allows us to build a culture of education in the household and to cultivate: english literacy skills in parents; confidence in guiding their child's crucial early development, continued on schedule oand a strong family foundation for lifelong learning.

No child should have to learn on an empty stomach. That's why we've become the largest permanent food distribution site in collier county, addressing a critical need in our community. Our food pantry's impact: distributed approximately 609,000 pounds of food; served an average of 400 Families each week, and is open to all community members, not just Grace Place students. What makes our pantry special is that our choice pantry model allows Families to select their own food from fresh produce, meats, and shelf-stable products. By addressing food insecurity, we're not just filling stomachs we're fueling minds and creating a stronger foundation for learning. Our food pantry is a vital resource that extends beyond our educational programs, touching lives throughout the community.

Adult education programs are offered in-person at night, for anyone even if they do not have a student enrolled at Grace Place. Spanish is the primary or only language spoken in more than 50% of golden gate homes and haitian-creole is spoken in 5%. We enrolled 110 students in esl (english as a second language), 38 in financial and digital literacy and 28 students in the united states citizenship test preparation course. 95% of esl students showed improvement in english reading, based on year-end assessments. 103 students returned this year, after beginning coursework the prior year. Classes had been suspended two years ago due to the pandemic.