For the seventh consecutive year, The Immokalee Foundation has earned the statewide Gold Level of Excellence Award from Take Stock in Children.
Sandra Garcia is one of the students who celebrates her 7th year of involvement with Take Stock in Children. She applied and was accepted into the foundation’s program when she was in seventh grade at Immokalee Middle School. Now a freshman at Ave Maria University, Garcia credits Take Stock and The Immokalee Foundation programs with helping her prepare for and be accepted to college. Preparation classes for the ACT and SAT helped her improve her scores, and participation in career panels introduced her to a career path as a veterinarian.
The Gold Level of Excellence is reserved for Take Stock’s local affiliates that meet high marks on its Balanced Scorecard indicators. These include student recruitment, mentor pairing, timely advocacy, two-year action plan, student growth, increased GPAs, and EDGAR self-certification – which indicates compliance with federal education funding guidelines.
The nonprofit organization was recognized at the annual Take Stock in Children Leadership Summit & Day at the Capitol in Tallahassee.
“We’re grateful that Take Stock recognizes the work we are doing to forge pathways to success for the students of Immokalee,” said Noemi Y. Perez, The Immokalee Foundation’s executive director. “The Immokalee Foundation’s dedicated mentors and staff, coupled with invaluable support from community and corporate partners, make honors like this possible.”
Take Stock in Children was established in 1995 and operates in every county in Florida. In Collier County, students in Immokalee are part of the program through The Immokalee Foundation.
Through The Immokalee Foundation and Take Stock in Children, students have access to the high-quality program offering college scholarships to students, providing caring volunteer mentors, and instilling hope for a bright future. Take Stock’s comprehensive programs begin in middle school, continue through high school, and include the transition to college or vocational education.
The Immokalee Foundation provides a range of education programs that focus on building pathways to professional careers through support, mentoring and tutoring, and life skills development leading to economic independence. To learn more about The Immokalee Foundation, becoming a mentor, its signature events, volunteering as a career panel speaker or host, making a donation, including the foundation in your estate plans, or for additional information, call 239-430-9122 or visit https://immokaleefoundation.org.
