NORTH VENICE, Fla. – The Sunshine Education Academy, owned by PGT Innovations (NYSE: PGTI) and operated by the Venice branch of The SKY Family YMCA, has seen an increase in enrollment and plans to open another toddler classroom soon, bringing the facility closer to its current capacity of 89 children.
Located at 101 Triple Diamond Blvd. in Venice, the facility currently serves 74 enrolled children. Registration For Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) at the child care center opened on August 1 and will be available throughout the school year, providing that space is available. Families can register children for VPK by visiting earlylearningcoalitionsarasota.org.
To kick off the upcoming school year, the facility is hosting a harvest celebration fun day and open house on October 6 at 10 a.m. Enrolled children and their families are invited to enjoy a variety of games and activities, including hayrides, a bounce house, mud pie contest, fairy flower crown making, bake sale, storytelling and more. In the coming months, the Sarasota County Sheriff’s mounted horse team and local fire department plan to visit the facility to provide demonstrations and a fun interactive experience for the children.
“The Sunshine Education Academy is the realization of a longtime dream at PGT Innovations,” said PGT Innovations Senior Vice President Danielle Mikesell. “We’ve received a great deal of positive feedback from team members across our company who have children enrolled at the school. My own daughter, Ava, has even said how much she enjoys the toddler classroom she’s enrolled in. We are beyond pleased that PGT families are utilizing this employer-supported care and are thrilled to offer it as an added benefit for generations to come.”
At the end of March 2018, PGT Innovations unveiled its new 7,500-square-foot child care center during a community ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate its completion. The Sunshine Education Academy officially opened on April 2. The center offers affordable, convenient child care services to PGT Innovations’ families, as well as parents who work in the Triple Diamond Commerce Park and the surrounding North Venice area.
“We’re honored to be able to provide an environment where parents feel comfortable leaving their children while they work,” said Faye Sundin, director of the Sunshine Education Academy at PGT Innovations. “It’s also been our pleasure to see the kids thrive in our new school. In just the few months that our location has been open, our teachers have been helping the kids gain exposure to shapes, letters and numbers, but more importantly, develop social and emotional skills that will set them up for success for years to come. We’re looking forward to seeing them enjoy the activities we have planned for the rest of this year.”
The PGT Innovations-owned facility operates six days a week from 4:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., with flexible pick-up and drop-off policies to accommodate parents working various shifts. Staffed by professionals trained by The SKY Family YMCA and operated as a licensed and accredited facility, the center offers curriculum-based programs, healthy meals and an outdoor playground for children aged six weeks to five years old.
The Sunshine Education Academy aims to cultivate each student’s capacity for lively, independent thinking, artistically viewed feelings and moral courage for responsible actions. The curriculum encourages children to grow intellectually by experiencing a wide variety of developmentally appropriate activities and materials as well as their own interests in context of life. The Sunshine Education Academy develops daily lesson plans using the Creative Curriculum and Waldorf philosophies.
For more information, visit www.swflymca.org/main/sunshine-education-academy or call 941-480-0170.
About PGT Innovations, Inc.
PGT Innovations manufactures and supplies premium windows and doors. Their highly engineered and technically advanced products can withstand some of the toughest weather conditions on earth and are revolutionizing the way people live by unifying indoor and outdoor living spaces.
PGT Innovations creates value through deep customer relationships, understanding the unstated needs of the markets it serves and a drive to develop category-defining products. PGT Innovations is also the nation’s largest manufacturer of impact-resistant windows and doors, holds the leadership position in its primary market, and is part of the S&P Small Cap 400 Index.
The PGT Innovations’ family of brands include CGI®, PGT® Custom Windows & Doors, WinDoor®, Western Window Systems and CGI Commercial. The company’s brands, in their respective markets, are a preferred choice of architects, builders and homeowners throughout North America and the Caribbean. Their high-quality products are available in custom and standard sizes with massive dimensions that allow for unlimited design possibilities in residential, multifamily and commercial projects. For additional information, visit www.pgtinnovations.com.
About the Sunshine Education Academy
Operated by the Venice branch of The SKY Family YMCA, The Sunshine Education Academy is dedicated to the unfolding of every individual’s potential as a talented and able human being. The center strives to enrich each student’s capacity for imagination and aims to inspire a love of learning and reverence for life. The goal is to educate so that its students are confident and eager to enter a life of individual initiative and social responsibility. The Sunshine Education Academy’s intention is to foster moral strength so that the qualities of truth, goodness and beauty permeate the human spirit.