Students from the Engineering & Construction Management Pathway participate in an activity with an Immokalee Technical College (iTECH) professional as part of their second year in the program.
The Ray and Wasie Foundations recently made history for The Immokalee Foundation. The Wasie Foundation pledged a $1 million matching grant to help support The Immokalee Foundation’s groundbreaking student programs. The Ray Foundation met the match with an additional $1 million.
The pledge by The Wasie Foundation was the first million-dollar match challenge in The Immokalee Foundation’s history.
Combined, these generous contributions promise to make a significant impact on The Immokalee Foundation’s Career Pathways Program, which prepares students for in-demand careers in Business Management & Entrepreneurship, Education & Human Services, Engineering & Construction Management, and Healthcare.
The Wasie Foundation inscribed “Only in America, the land of the free and the home of the brave, is anything possible” on one of the trusses of the first Learning Lab Home.
The Ray and Wasie Foundations have a strong history with The Immokalee Foundation, having previously supported The Immokalee Foundation’s innovative Career Pathways Learning Lab—a hands-on professional training hub and home to a future 18-home subdivision located in the heart of Immokalee.
The Wasie Foundation donated $250,000 to underwrite the entire first home constructed as part of the Learning Lab, which helped provide the necessary funds to begin building additional homes.
The Ray Foundation established a $250,000 matching grant at the beginning of the project to help cover the cost of preparing the land for construction. The Ray Foundation’s passionate support of The Immokalee Foundation represents an excellent fit with their stated mission to uplift the youth of America by enabling them to develop life skills such as self-discipline, self-confidence, and self-reliance.
“The scope, scale, and quality of services provided to the youth of Immokalee by The Immokalee Foundation is truly inspirational,” said Charles J. Ahearn, Director and President of the Ray Foundation. “The Career Pathways Learning Lab provides development opportunities for students interested in the engineering and construction management fields. The Ray Foundation is proud to support the Learning Lab and we applaud all those involved in the creation and operation of such a wonderful program.”
Students from the Business Management & Entrepreneurship Pathway compete at The Immokalee Foundation’s annual Shark Tank-themed event at Florida Gulf Coast University.
Stanley Wasie, a pioneer in the American trucking industry, established The Wasie Foundation in 1966 with a
mission to offer needed financial support to those motivated to succeed. Over its more than 50 years, the foundation has provided tens of millions of dollars in grants and scholarship funding.
“Mr. and Mrs. Wasie believed that America was the land of opportunity for anyone who was willing to get an education and work hard,” said Gregg D. Sjoquist, chairman of The Wasie Foundation. “They were strong and early believers in the concept of technical training and major financial supporters in the arena of technical education. Through hard work, the Wasies rose from poverty to become one of the most well-known and successful families in Minneapolis. They demonstrated, firsthand, that in America, anything is possible.”
For more than 30 years, The Immokalee Foundation has maintained a 100% focus on education and professional development for students in Immokalee—from kindergarten to postsecondary education. Through support, mentoring, tutoring, and life skills development, The Immokalee Foundation provides pathways to success for those who may not otherwise have had the opportunity to succeed. For additional information, call 239-430-9122 or visit immokaleefoundation.org.
