NAVIGATING THE 21ST CENTURY LEARNING CENTER $1.4 MILLION FUNDING LOSS On July 1, 2025, President Donald Trump’s administration withheld approximately $1.3 billion in funding for the 21st Century Community Learning Centers, a key federal program of the U.S. Department of Education. This funding supports after-school and summer learning initiatives for over 1.4 million children [...]
Empowering Futures: Grace Place Scholarships Fuel Naples’ WorkforceGrace Place’s scholarship program is sparking a wave of opportunity. For over two decades, Grace Place has been a catalyst for change, and today, its college scholarship program is boosting the local workforce and economy with a new generation of dream achievers.Each year, Grace Place awards four full-ride [...]
Young Leaders, Big Impact: Meet the Grace Place Board of Ambassadors At Grace Place, we’re fortunate to have a passionate group of young professionals dedicated to advancing our mission through advocacy, volunteerism, and philanthropy. Our Board of Ambassadors is made up of emerging leaders who are using their time, talents, and networks to create meaningful [...]
Making Waves: Grace Place Students Learn Swimming and Water Safety Skills At Grace Place, we believe every child deserves the chance to feel confident and safe in the water. This summer, our elementary students are doing just that—participating in swim lessons focused on building essential water safety skills. Through this program, students are learning how [...]
Building Big Skills with Our Littlest Learners This summer, our rising VPK students—preschoolers who are gearing up to enter our Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) program this fall—have been hard at work… playing! But at Grace Place, play is serious business. Our rising VPK students attend with their parents, laying the groundwork for a strong school-to-home connection. [...]
STEM Takes Center Stage in Grace Place’s Putt-Putt Engineering Challenge At Grace Place, summer learning means getting hands-on, thinking big, and having a little fun along the way. This week, our high school students took on the Putt-Putt Engineering Challenge, where teams worked together to design and build their own custom mini-golf holes—bringing classroom concepts [...]
Two Powerful Gifts Making a Lasting Impact at Grace Place The Grace Place mission to empower children and families through education is only possible through the generosity and commitment of our community partners. This month, we are thrilled to recognize two incredible charitable gifts that are helping us continue this vital work. We extend our [...]
Summer Learning in Action: Grace Place Launches STEM-Enriched Camp Grace Place middle and high school students kicked off Summer Adventure Academy with energy, enthusiasm, and a full slate of enrichment opportunities designed to empower and inspire. Far more than just a break from school, this camp is a continuation of Grace Place’s year-round commitment [...]
The 2nd Annual Dodge for a Cause was more than just a high-energy dodgeball tournament—it was a celebration of community, creativity, and commitment to educational equity. From the Halstatt Havoc to the Manatee Cove Maniacs, teams showed up dressed to impress and ready to dip, dive, duck, and dodge—all in support of the life-changing [...]
Grace Place Girls Shine at Girls on the Run This spring, the girls of Grace Place proved that running is about so much more than just crossing the finish line—it’s about confidence, connection, and courage. Grace Place had an absolute blast participating in the Girls on the Run of Southwest Florida program, and our energetic [...]