Clearing the Pathway to Higher Education

HELLO, I'M JENNIFER CRAWFORD, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. AS MOST PRESCHOOLS LET OUT FOR THE SUMMER ONE SPECIAL EARLY LEARNING CENTER IN IMMOKALEE STAYS OPEN ALL YEAR ROUND AND HAS A WAITING LIST OF 300 CHILDREN PATHWAYS. EARLY EDUCATION CENTER IS LOCATED IN IMMOKALEE. THAT'S ABOUT 35 MILES EAST OF NAPLES IN COLLIER COUNTY. IT'S MOSTLY A MIGRANT FARM WORKING COMMUNITY HAS CAPTURED THE ATTENTION AND RESOURCES FROM A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION WITH A MISSION TO ELEVATE FAMILIES FROM POVERTY BY TEACHING THE TINIEST OF ITS RESIDENTS. >> NERVOUS EXCITEMENT FILLS THE AIR AS ONE BY ONE LITTLE FOOTSTEPS MAKE THEIR WAY DOWN THE HALL. >> PRESTON, BLUE CAPS AND GOWNS STEPPING INTO PLACE READY FOR THEIR BIG DAY. WE HAVE 9. YEAH, GUNS ON IT. >> A MOMENTOUS OCCASION. YEARS IN THE MAKING AT PATHWAYS EARLY EDUCATION CENTER OF IMMOKALEE. >> AND SPECIAL. SOME OF THEM TOUCH HEART BECAUSE I'VE BEEN HERE THROUGHOUT OUR PROGRAM SINCE OUR BROWN BERENSON CLASSROOM. >> CENTER DIRECTOR MICHELE BACHMANN AND HER TEAM LEADING THE VPK GRADUATION CEREMONY WITH POMP, CIRCUMSTANCE AND PAGEANTRY. WHO'S IN GLITTERY DRESSES. FANCY HERE BEAUSE AND BOYS IN STYLISH SUITS PERFORMING FOR AN ADORING AUDIENCE RECORDING EVERY MOMENT. >> BECAUSE >> IN MY SHOES, MY AND GETTING MISSION UNTIL THEN AS YOU GO THROUGH WHAT MY SKIN HAS BEEN UP IN JUST A MEDIA VIA CHEERS. HER FIVE-YEAR-OLD ACCOMPLISHMENTS. >> I MEAN, THIS IS AMAZING. >> A HELPFUL AND A LOT OF WAYS THAT SHE'S LEARNING AND YOU GET THAT FROM WITHIN THE WALLS. ONE WOULD NEVER GUESS THAT THE CHILDREN RECEIVING SUCH TOP NOTCH CARE 3 FRESHLY PREPARED MEALS EVERY DAY. THE LAW. A HIGH-QUALITY EARLY EDUCATION UNDER THE DOORS FROM THE STREETS OF ONE OF THE POOREST COMMUNITIES IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA. >> THE ECONOMICS OF IMMOKALEE, THE AVERAGE FARM WORKER MAKES ABOUT $20,000 A YEAR. THE HOUSING CONDITIONS OUT HERE, THERE'S 110 MOBILE HOME PARKS IN IMMOKALEE. THEY RANGE FROM ANYWHERE FROM $1500 A MONTH TO $2500 A MONTH. THE COST IS IS JUST IT'S JUST TOO MUCH. AND THEN YOU'RE LIVING IN THESE MOBILE HOMES, SOMETIMES WITH STRANGERS HAVE HAD FAMILIES LIVE IN ONE BEDROOM OF THE TRAILER RULES OF OLD DILAPIDATED TRAILERS. THE BACKDROP FOR BEER CANS IN WAR NETWORK BOOTS. >> IN STARK CONTRAST TO THE CHEERFUL BRIGHTLY COLORED SCHOOL WELL MAINTAINED LANDSCAPE AND MODERN PLAYGROUND FACILITIES OFFERING RESPITE 2 CHILDREN FROM THE REALITIES AND THE EXHAUSTION OF POVERTY. >> I FEEL IF IT WASN'T FOR US, WHERE WOULD THEY BE WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THAT? THEY WOULD BE PLAYING OUTSIDE AND NOW WITH SOME OF THE FABULOUS GARDENS THAT WE SEE EVERY DAY. BUT THERE WILL BE PLAYING OUTSIDE IN THE DARK. >> ALMOST HALF OF THE RESIDENTS IN IMMOKALEE HAVE NO HIGH SCHOOL DEGREE. THE PER CAPITA INCOME HOVERING AT JUST $19,000. ONE OF THE LOWEST IN THE STATE SITUATED IN COLLIER COUNTY WITH A PER CAPITA PERSONAL INCOME RANKS HIGHEST IN FLORIDA HAD MORE THAN $150,000 OPPOSITE WORLDS INTERSECTING HERE AT THE CORNER OF COLORADO AVENUE AND SOUTH 4TH STREET. >> PATHWAYS IF YOU ARE IN THE PERFECT LOCATION, I ALWAYS SAY WHERE THE DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH. WE WANT TO GIVE THEM THE GIFT OF AN EDUCATION'S CEO BRANDON DOWDY SAYS TUITION RUNS ABOUT $16,000 A YEAR. >> THE AVERAGE FAMILY, HOWEVER, PAYS JUST $90 A MONTH. DOWNEY SAYS IT COST 4 MILLION DOLLARS ANNUALLY TO RUN PATHWAYS AND MOST OF THAT MONEY COMES FROM THE GENEROSITY OF COLLIER COUNTY RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES. >> 73% OF OUR BUDGET IS PRIVATE FUNDRAISING. AND SO THE COMMUNITY COMES AND SEES THE INVESTMENT AND THE PRODUCT AND WHAT THE OUTCOMES ARE. OTHERS, THOUGH, CITE A TELEGRAPH. OUT OF THE CHILDREN WERE GRADUATING TODAY, ALMOST 100% OF THEM ARE READY FOR KINDERGARTEN, WHEREAS A STATE WIDE VPK READINESS IS PROBABLY SOMEWHERE AROUND 50%. >> PATHWAYS EARLY EDUCATION CENTER WAS FOUNDED IN 1964, SPROUTING FROM A DESPERATE NEED IN THE FIELDS OF IMMOKALEE. >> IT STARTED IN A FIELD WASH HOUSE. AND SO THE FAMILY IS WORKING IN THE FIELD. SO WITH CHILDREN BEING IN BASKETS AND THE PESTICIDES BEING THERE, THEY THERE'S A WASHOUT CLOSE BY THE CHILDREN WERE PUT INTO THE WASH. CURRENT HOUSE, OF COURSE, SUPERVISED AND ABOUT TIME AS THEY CALL IT. >> BABYSITTING WHAT BEGAN AS WOMEN BABYSITTING IN AN OLD WATCH HOUSE LED TO THE GROUNDBREAKING OF THE ONLY CHILD CARE CENTER FOR NON-WHITES IN IMMOKALEE IN 1996, EVOLVING INTO WHAT IS NOW A NATIONALLY ACCREDITED COMPREHENSIVE OR LEAGUE EDUCATION POWERHOUSE. EVERY CHILD. THERE IS AN INDIVIDUALIZED PLAN. >> EVERY CHILD IS SO DIFFERENT. SO WE'RE MEETING THE LEVEL OF THE CHILD IN THAT MOMENT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY NEED THE MILESTONES THE THEIR FIRST STEPS. AND FIRST WORDS THERE, BIKES. THEIR BIRTHDAYS, THEIR CHRISTMAS, THEIR HALLOWEEN. EVERYTHING HAPPENS UNDER OUR ROOF. >> WITH 126 CHILDREN ENROLLED FROM 4 WEEKS OLD TO 5 YEARS OLD, RECEIVING RESEARCH-BASED CURRICULUM. HE'S AT TO ME PAY BE A BABY. PATHWAYS HAS ALSO RECEIVED A GOLD SEAL CERTIFICATION FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION WITH A QUALITY EARLY EDUCATION. >> YOU CAN ADD AN ADDITIONAL 25 TO $30,000 TO THE FAMILIES, HOUSEHOLD STRUCTURE >> IN A WORLD WHERE RETURNS ON INVESTMENT ARE MEASURED IN DOLLARS AT PATHWAYS. THE PAYBACK COMES WITH EVERY CHILD MOVING ONE STEP CLOSER TO BEING LIFTED OUT OF POVERTY. ALL. >> AND WITH THE POWER OF EDUCATION LOVE AND THE COMMUNITY OF SUPPORT. I JUST WANT TO THANK PATHWAYS AND EVERYBODY IN THE STAFF FOR THE GROWTH. THAT JOB GIVEN MY CHILD TO LEARN. IT IS AN AMAZING MOMENT TO SEE EVERYTHING AND THE ATMOSPHERE. I JUST WANT TO THANK PATHWAYS FOR EVERYTHING THAT THEY DO FOR THE KIDS.