GEC News
Luz Alonso, Proud GEC Graduate and Future Nurse
You may remember Luz. She is a GEC graduate whose caring nature has led her to pursue a career as a nurse. Despite the challenges of working two jobs, one at Starbucks and another at Carlisle Senior Living in Naples, Luz earned her Associates Degree from Florida...
NCEF & Naples Winter Wine Festival awards GEC $115,000
In an article written by Gulfshore Life magazine, local organizations benefiting from traditional grants for 2023-24 Naples Winter Wine Festival, which totaled $6,841,220 that were announced include the Gargiulo Education Center which was awarded $115,000 to help...
GEC has been improving children’s lives for more than two decades (Fox 4 News)
NAPLES, Fla. — “They have to pick tomatoes.” Those are the words of 11-year-old Gabriela Escobar Reyes - describing her parents’ daily routine. They are farm workers who leave Naples early in the morning to get to Immokalee - where they work - and return later in the...
Naples Winter Wine Festival Raises Nearly $26 Million For Collier County Children
Mike DeSimone and Jeff Jenssen Contributors for Forbes Magazine Almost $26 Million was raised at the Naples Winter Wine Festival this past weekend, breaking previous records for the amount garnered by this annual fundraiser. The money benefits at risk and...
GEC Seeks to Teach More Kids (Spotlight Magazine)
The curriculum includes mathematics, science, business and entrepreneurship. Support services include food and medical, dental and mental health care. Students get out into the community to shadow executives. What sounds like a model for a college actually is a...
GEC Students Step Up to Assist Relief Efforts
Thank God GEC and families were blessed during hurricane Ian with little damage. The students needed to release their emotions and repay their blessings to those not as fortunate as themselves. These acts of public service encompassed several measurable aspects of the...
PUTTING THE HAPPY BACK IN HALLOWEEN!
This past weekend Sister Mary (aka Ms. Mary), the GEC staff, and students had their traditional Halloween Trunk or Treat visit with the memory care residents at the Opal Memory Care Center, Naples. The students were so excited to give those in need hugs, and love, as...
GEC Accepts its First Car Donation
GEC friends Michelle & Steven Karlik recently donated a 2008 Ford Edge to the center. Although the vehicle is in great shape, the SUV needed some tweaks on the AC. This gave us the perfect opportunity to have our alumni Juan and Elver do the work on this car at...
GEC Students are Flying High
In 2018, as part of the newly formed Entrepreneurial Apprenticeship Program (EAP) the students of GEC were invited to take part in the Young Eagles program, whose mission is to introduce children to the world of aviation. At that time, Jocelyn and Julian weren’t ready...
S.M.A.R.T. Programs Helps Hit a Home Run
Growing up, the hardships these children have endured as part of the migrant community make it hard to trust people. Many of these children are withdrawn and don’t want to take part in anything that falls outside their comfort zone. They are left emotionally and...
2023 Press
- Local teen is making a difference in the lives of middle schoolers (Neapolitan Family March 2023)
- Gargiulo Education Center in Naples has been improving children’s lives for more than two decades (Fox 4 News)
- Naples Winter Wine Festival Raises Nearly $26 Million For Collier County Children (Forbes February 2023)
- Gargiulo Education Center seeks to teach more kids (Spotlight Magazine January 2023)
2022 Press
- Gargiulo Education Center extending hours to care for at-risk children in Collier County (Wink News April 16, 2022)
- Migrant education center forges on in days of coronavirus spread (Naples Daily News, March 26, 2020)
- Photos: Gargiulo Education Center keeps children learning while following CDC guidelines (Naples Daily News, March 26, 2020)
- Supporting the children of local farm workers (Fox 4 News, March 5, 2022)
- Naples Best Kept Secret (Old Naples News, March 2020)
- Showing the Love (Parent & Child Magazine, March 2020)
- Naples Children & Education Foundation awards more than $20M to improve lives of at-risk children (Naples Daily News, March 23, 2020)