Impact Polk Grant

[Lakeland, FL] – [11/18/2024] – Mi Escuela Montessori recently received a $10,000 Impact Polk grant on behalf of the George W. Jenkins Fund within GiveWell Community Foundation (GWCF) for toddler and preschool students who qualify for subsidized childcare through the School Readiness Program of the Early Learning Coalition of Polk. Families must have an income below the poverty line and must be working or in school for at least 20 hours a week. The School Readiness voucher will determine what co-pay the family can financially afford to pay and will subsidize the balance, however the voucher only covers 62% of the tuition. The scholarship will cover the balance. 

Now in its third year, the Brain-building Beginnings: Birth to Four Scholarship Program was developed to support low-wage earning families in providing a quality educational foundation for their children. Last year, with the help of a $10,000 grant from GWCF, Mi Escuela was able to give partial scholarships to 20 students, totaling $24,881.09 in scholarships. This year, thanks to the George W. Jenkins Fund within GWCF, 33 students are receiving financial assistance. 

About Mi Escuela Montessori
The dual language program at Mi Escuela Montessori is a learning-based, bilingual, language-rich program with a well-supported educational approach to helping young children acquire fundamental skills and abilities and hitting developmental milestones on time. Students are taught independence and self-care. They are supported in developing motor skills and vocabulary in both English and Spanish. They are in a warm and nurturing environment with a low ratio of adults to children.
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About GiveWell Community Foundation
GiveWell Community Foundation works with individuals, families, businesses, and nonprofits to build stronger communities in Polk, Hardee, and Highlands counties through charitable funds and competitive grant cycles. GWCF builds and manages permanent endowments, connects donors to nonprofit needs, and provides leadership on critical community issues. Since its founding in 1997, the Community Foundation has awarded more than $400 million in grants. Today, GWCF is home to more than 400 charitable funds and the Impact Polk and Empower Polk grant cycles.

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