Guadalupe Center launches ‘Stepping Stones’ campaign

Guadalupe Center has announced a new campaign, Stepping Stones to the Future, that allows supporters to help launch an educational journey for students in Immokalee.

Stepping Stones allows supporters to purchase personalized brick pavers that will be installed in walkways and courtyards at the new van Otterloo Family Campus for Learning, which will open in spring 2022.

“We want to fill the campus with messages of hope and encouragement so children know they have the full support of this community,” said Dawn Montecalvo, president of Guadalupe Center. “Stepping Stones is a campaign that will have a lasting impact for years to come because an investment in education is an investment that transforms lives today, tomorrow and beyond.”

Three types of personalized brick pavers are available:

8 inches by 8 inches: taupe engraved brick
9 inches by 12 inches: taupe engraved brick (includes option for corporate logo)
12 inches by 12 inches: beige engraved brick (includes option for corporate logo)
The van Otterloo Family Campus for Learning will feature two academic buildings with multiple classrooms, a library, learning lab, cafeteria and kitchen, playground, administrative offices, mentor lounges, commons areas, a medical and dental suite, outdoor gardens and a student wall of fame.

For years, Guadalupe Center has maintained a waiting list of more than 500 students for seats in its nationally accredited Early Childhood Education Program. In 2020, Guadalupe Center opened the Monaghan Family Early Childhood Education Campus, which accommodates 66 children from infancy through 3 years old. The van Otterloo campus will accommodate up to 154 Early Childhood Education students. It also will become home to Guadalupe Center’s college-preparatory Tutor Corps Program, providing students and staff with access to a learning lab, meeting rooms and spaces for collaboration.

Both new campuses were funded by philanthropic support secured through Guadalupe Center: 2020 & Beyond, a comprehensive campaign to provide life-changing, transformational programs for additional students in Immokalee.

For more information or to purchase a Stepping Stone, please contact Nzinga King at NKing@GuadalupeCenter.org or 239-657-7124.

About Guadalupe Center
Guadalupe Center is a purpose-driven, nonprofit organization with proven results in creating endless possibilities for the students of Immokalee through education and fostering personal and academic success that leads to economic independence. With a focus on breaking the cycle of poverty through education, Guadalupe Center is proud of the children’s accomplishments: 95% meet or exceed kindergarten readiness measures, 100% of Tutor Corps high school seniors graduate high school and are accepted into college, and more than 94% graduate with a post-secondary degree.