YMCA Receives Grant from Collier Community Foundation

The YMCA of Collier County is pleased to announce it has received a $45,000 grant from the Collier Community Foundation. These funds will support the continued licensing of the Teaching Strategies Gold curriculum that is utilized in the YMCA's early learning centers on both its Naples and Marco Island campuses.

The grant awards the YMCA funding to secure a three-year subscription to this highly impactful educational platform, directly benefiting preschool-age children within the community. The Teaching Strategies Gold curriculum ensures that young learners are met with high-quality, research-validated development tracks during their critical early years. Crucially, this licensing renewal includes the use of an associated mobile application, which serves as an essential direct resource for parents to track their children's daily curriculum milestones, monitor growth metrics, and remain dynamically engaged with their early learning educators.

"This generous investment from the Collier Community Foundation provides vital continuity for our early childhood education centers," said Lucinda “Cindy” Love-Abounader, President & CEO of the YMCA of Collier County. "By securing the Teaching Strategies Gold curriculum for the next three years, we can confidently maintain the high standard of preschool preparation our Naples and Marco Island families rely on, while keeping parents actively connected to their children's daily development."

The Collier Community Foundation awards annual grants through a competitive application and review process. Selected organizations receive grant dollars from the Foundation’s discretionary funds. These funds were gifted by donors who believe in the Community Foundation’s ability to mobilize resources to address the community’s greatest needs.