Guadalupe Center

Guadalupe Center is a daycare in Immokalee, FL, whose mission is to break the cycle of poverty through education for the children of Immokalee. The organization serves more than 2,000 students per year through three core educational programs: Early Childhood Education, After-school Tutoring and Summer Enrichment, and Tutor Corps. In Early Childhood Education, 95% of graduates meet or exceed kindergarten standards and enter school prepared to succeed. In the after-school and summer program, 100% of at-risk K-2 students make academic gains. The Tutor Corps program supports 125 high school students, with 100% of seniors graduating, and currently tracks 154 college students on track to graduate, all debt free, with more than 300 Tutor Corps alumni having earned college degrees.

Guadalupe Center is a purpose-driven non-profit that provides high quality educational programs designed to empower independent thinkers and lifelong learners. The organization's youngest learners enter kindergarten prepared, elementary students gain the skills to reach and stay on grade level, and every Tutor Corps senior graduates and moves on to college, many as the first in their family to do so. The senior leadership team includes President and CEO Dawn Montecalvo, Vice President of Programs Robert Spano, and Vice President of Philanthropy Kelly Krupp. Guadalupe Center also fosters community involvement through the Golden Circle Giving Society, a recurring GEM giving program, volunteer opportunities, sponsored events such as the Celebration Dinner and Elevate Gala, and an annual Classroom Supplies Drive.

The center is located on Hope Circle, about half a mile from Buthne School and roughly half a mile from Immokalee Road. Pinecrest Elementary School is less than a mile away, as is Dreamland Neighborhood Park and the Seminole Casino Hotel Immokalee, with the Gaming Commission office under a mile from the site.

Guadalupe Center holds a rating of 4.00. For decades, the organization has served the children of Immokalee, a rural agricultural community, providing tools, guidance, and encouragement to help students overcome language and economic barriers and succeed in school and in life.