Pathways Early Education Center of Immokalee

Mission Statement

The mission of Pathways Early Education Center of Immokalee is to provide exceptional educational programs.

Organizational Overview

As the very first childcare center in Immokalee, we started serving the children of migrant farm workers in what was then a tiny wash house. The Center was created so parents had somewhere safe to leave their children when they went out to the fields to work long hours. At the beginning, the Center’s goal was very simple: provide childcare so children did not have to deal with the harsh sun and dangerous chemicals they were exposed to in the fields. Over the years, we have increased the number of children served and have shifted our focus from basic custodial childcare to providing comprehensive educational programs to children from infancy to 5 years old. This shift allows us to create equitable opportunities for underserved populations: access to early education has been shown to have a profound impact on lifelong success. Pathways has since become nationally accredited and is on the cutting edge of evidence-driven STEAM and mental health educational programming. Because the need in Immokalee is so great with over 500 children on our current waiting list, preparations for a capital campaign are underway to fund the construction of a new building. This will allow us to increase the number of students we serve by 250, making a significant dent in the waitlist and children being ready for Kindergarten. The new building will include not only classroom space, but also dedicated areas to help us serve the whole child and improve our wrap-around services with our community partners for medical, dental, hunger, early intervention, mental health screenings and any related needs that will provide long-lasting impact for the Immokalee Community.