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Fort Myers Groundbreaking. -COURTESY PHOTO<\/p>\n
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Goddard School. -COURTESY PHOTO<\/p>\n
Education is always of the utmost importance for children to learn, grow and become future leaders. For parents in Fort Myers, a new school is undergoing construction that is built to provide children six years old and younger with a place for development\n<\/p>\n
Located at 13541 Goldenwood Drive, the Goddard School of Fort Myers recently had its groundbreaking event on Oct. 28 to start construction for the school to open its doors in 2026.\n<\/p>\n
Owners Phil and Darlene Dubois, along with their team, have been excited for the creation of a school that will continue to enhance young minds.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen looking at the childcare that\u2019s available in the Fort Myers area, there really isn\u2019t a premier education facility like the Goddard School,\u201d Phil Dubois said. \u201cWe use the wonders of learning, and it takes teacher-guided inquiries and mixes it with the children\u2019s curiosity and their interests. It (school) gives them the age-appropriate academic, social and emotional skills that will allow them to be prepared for further education and also for what they prepare to do in life.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
The Goddard organization has over 600 schools, and with this one is bringing a 12,500 square foot facility that includes 10 classrooms, a playground and an indoor gymnasium with a rock climbing wall. With all the utilities within the school, the Dubois\u2019 are thankful for how smoothly the construction process has been.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cThere haven\u2019t been any delays or anything else. The city has been very accommodating, and it\u2019s been a very smooth process,\u201d Phil Dubois said.\n<\/p>\n
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Goddard School. -COURTESY PHOTO<\/p>\n
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, hearing and seeing are extremely important to toddlers\u2019 and younger children\u2019s brain development. By the age of five, the brain is 90% developed. From the social interactions that become firsts at schools like the Goddard School of Fort Myers, ensuring these are positive and educational is important.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cWe do want to have a curriculum that\u2019s age appropriate,\u201d Dubois continued. Believe it or not, we are teaching the six-year-olds. That\u2019s different than how we teach the pre-K students, but they all get taught, and what one person comes into pre-K in the beginning versus someone that\u2019s at the end of their pre-K, there\u2019s a ton of differences.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
The school plans to enroll around 180 students from across Southwest Florida, who will learn early motor skills and be taught by highly trained teachers. With the new school underway, the founders hope to create a community where parents can support one another in the early stages of child care and help develop their young ones.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cI think what most parents care about is that their child is in an early development child care center that\u2019s the safest, cleanest and most nurturing environment available,\u201d Dubois said. \u201cAnd that\u2019s our goal. This is the place for them (parents) to come check us out and find out how we can help take care of their kids.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
Programs in place for the school will include the standard programs that Goddard schools provide, along with an after-school and summer program. With all of these programs comes the need for excellent teachers to educate the students.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re also going to bring 30 teaching jobs to the community. So great for the Fort Myers area, expanding their employment,\u201d Dubois said. \u201cWe talked about the 660 Goddard schools and with more than 20 of them in Florida, I think it\u2019s important to know that we educate nearly 100,000 children from the age of six weeks to six years old.\u201d\n<\/p>\n