New Grant Fuels Career Discovery for Girls at Grace Place
A promising new initiative is taking shape in Southwest Florida thanks to a powerful investment in out-of-school time learning. Grace Place for Children and Families in Naples has been awarded a $210,000 multi-year grant from the Women’s Foundation of Collier County to launch its Middle School Career Discovery Academy. This afterschool program is designed to open doors to high-demand careers and introduce young girls to the possibilities ahead.
Slated to begin in Fall 2025, the program will offer girls in Golden Gate a chance to explore future career pathways in four of Florida’s most vital and growing industries: Manufacturing, Healthcare, Technology, and Entrepreneurship. Through hands-on learning and direct mentorship from professional women working in those fields, participants will gain not only technical insight but also the durable skills, like collaboration, communication, and leadership, that are essential for long-term success in any job.
“This grant is a powerful investment in the potential of young girls in Golden Gate,” said Lara Fisher, CEO of Grace Place. “By opening doors to career paths they may have never considered—and connecting them with women who are thriving in those fields—this program will empower girls to envision bold futures and equip them with the confidence to pursue them.”
The Middle School Career Discovery Academy is more than a traditional career day. It’s a structured, skill-building experience woven into Grace Place’s broader out-of-school time programming, intentionally designed to strengthen self-efficacy and inspire future planning during the pivotal middle school years. Instructional specialists will lead weekly sessions in collaboration with community partners, ensuring that each activity is relevant, interactive, and connected to real-world applications.
The Women’s Foundation of Collier County selected Grace Place for this competitive grant through its annual review process, recognizing the Academy’s potential to meet a pressing community need: giving girls early, equitable access to career exploration opportunities and role models.
Florida Afterschool celebrates this powerful example of how afterschool programs can serve as launchpads for lifelong success. When community, philanthropy, and education come together, students thrive.
Learn more about Grace Place by visiting them online: www.graceplacenaples.org