Guadalupe Family Center is a child care center which also offers life skill training to parents in economically challenged Immokalee, Florida. Immokalee is a diverse multi-cultural community which has historically been populated by migrant agricultural workers. As the town matures, more families have been putting down roots by living and working full time in the community. Second and now third generation children are being taught and cared for at the center.
The mission of Guadalupe Center is to promote self-sufficiency, opportunity and community stability. The organization is committed to breaking the cycle of poverty. The family center focuses on the very young child and their parents, by advancing early education, parenting skills and English as a second language.
The building project is currently in it’s second and final phase of development. Phase I is a 17,945 s.f. building which includes ten classrooms, administration offices, expandable meeting rooms and outdoor play space. Phase II will be a 14,275 s.f. building replacement of the original 10,000 s.f. facility. It will include eight additional classrooms, a new commercial kitchen, dining facilities and addition office/planning space.
The design of the building provides playful references to the alphabet, numbers, crayons and identifiable school building forms. Interior and exterior windows are placed for viewing by adults and young children. Daylighting is introduced into the interior of the building by insulated skylights, located strategically in high volume spaces at the center of classroom clusters, thus reducing the feeling of long corridors.
Guadalupe Family Center is appropriately located on "Hope Circle".