On March 22, the annual Guadalupe After-School Program Tutor Celebration Dinner was held at the Fiddler’s Creek Club & Spa. This by-ticket-only dinner celebrated the accomplishments of the 20 Senior Tutors from Immokalee High School. 50 high school students are hired by the Guadalupe Center to tutor at-risk Kindergarten through Second Grade students at Pinecrest and Highlands Elementary Schools, RCMA Charter School, and children in the Guadalupe Center Early Childhood Education Program.
These tutors assist younger students with tutoring, contribute to their family’s income, earn scholarships to college, receive mentoring from members of various Naples communities, and benefit from the services of college counseling. For the past 3 years, 100% of our seniors in the Tutor Corps Program have been accepted into college!
In past years, most of the Mentors to these high school students were residents of Marco Island. Since 2007, Fiddler’s Creek homeowners have become increasingly involved working in the Tutor Corps program. Today, 15 tutors are mentored by Fiddler’s Creek homeowners, and another Fiddler’s Creek couple is awaiting assignment of a tutor for the next school term. It is not necessary to be a year-round resident to participate.
Mentoring a tutor is a wonderful way to give back. The Celebration Dinner presents an opportunity to witness the special relationship that develops between Mentors and Tutors. If you have an interest in learning more about how the Guadalupe Center of Immokalee helps at-risk children by breaking the cycle of poverty through education, please contact Don or Susan Popejoy at 775-9617 or donpopejoy@comcast.net.