The Immokalee Foundation recently was awarded a $10,000 grant for its Career Pathways – Professional Careers in The New Economy program by the United Way of Collier County.
Career Pathways is an after-school program that introduces students to a wide variety of occupations available through post-secondary education, whether attained at a college or university, technical school or apprenticeship program. Students are eligible to apply for Career Pathways in middle school and high school.
The United Way grant will open a future of possibilities for at least 200 Immokalee students, among the more than 1,300 served each year in The Immokalee Foundation’s robust roster of programs.
Career Pathways is critical for Immokalee students, who often do not know about the range of career opportunities available to them. Through workshops, panel discussions, job shadowing and presentations by local professionals, students learn about new pathways to success that lead to financial independence.
Critical components of the Career Pathways workshops include ACT and SAT test preparation, resume writing, networking skills, and financial literacy.
Raising the proficiency of Immokalee’s young people and guiding them to well-paying jobs has a positive impact on their families and the community, as well. A full 100 percent of The Immokalee Foundation’s students live in homes with incomes that fall below the stability threshold on the United Way-commissioned ALICE (asset limited, income constrained, employed) report.
For more than 25 years, The Immokalee Foundation has been dedicated to mitigating the effects of poverty for youth in the community through academic intervention, educational support, and vocational training.
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.
