May 10 was Provider Appreciation Day and the ELC Board organized a Business Breakfast with a theme of “The Business of Preschool”. Florida Gulf Coast University President Dr. Michael Martin provided the keynote address. Waterman Broadcasting VP & CFO Gerry Poppe was honored as an “Early Learning Champion”. Good food mingled with a solid message that quality early learning experiences are important for our community.

It was a great day in March, 2019 at Jet Blue Park to watch the Red Sox take on the Minnesota Twin in a spring training match-up. We met a lot of nice folks at the Community Corner table, talked about what our coalition does for children and teachers and even recruited a few Literacy Buddies. The Red Sox love their off-season home, and it shows!

Thanks to Pi Beta Phi Alumnae Club of the Fort Myers Area for securing a grant that allowed for the purchase of hundreds of books for the Literacy Buddy Program. Some of those books went to the Challenged Minds Children’s Center in Fort Myers, where the 4-year olds performed a play based on the beloved children’s book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Have you thought about becoming a Literacy Buddy volunteer? You can sign up by tapping the big Buddy Button on our homepage.