NORTH VENICE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--On Thursday, March 29, PGT Innovations unveiled its new 7,500-square-foot child care center during a community ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate its completion.
Operated by the Venice branch of the SKY Family YMCA, the Sunshine Education Academy will officially open on April 2. The center offers affordable, convenient child care services to PGT Innovations’ families with young children as well as parents who work in the Triple Diamond Commerce Park and the surrounding area in North Venice.
During the ceremony, attendees briefly heard from PGT Innovations CEO and President Jeff Jackson, PGT Innovations Senior Vice President of Human Resources Debbie LaPinska, Venice Mayor John Holic, Sarasota County Sheriff Tom Knight and SKY Family YMCA CEO Pat Ryan. Teachers with the Sunshine Education Academy also provided tours of the center.
“Studies have shown that one of workers’ biggest concerns is how their children are cared for while they are working, and the cost of child care has gone up not only locally but nationwide,” said Jackson.
“Over two decades ago, our founder envisioned a child care center that would address the need for a cost-effective and accessible facility giving our employees peace of mind as they worked. It’s a purpose that aligns perfectly with PGT Innovations’ core values, and our management team never lost sight of that goal. We truly believe in the importance of serving the community, working families and our employees. We found the perfect partner in the SKY Family YMCA and its Sunshine Education Academy curriculum for this great community collaboration. I am incredibly honored to be able to fulfill such an impactful vision that helps our team members, community, and most importantly, our children.”
PGT Innovations presented a surprise dedication to PGT Innovations Chairman of the Board Rod Hershberger, and his wife Elaine. A 40-inch bronze statue stands at the entrance at the Sunshine Education Academy, now also known as the “Rod and Elaine Hershberger Child Care Facility”. The Randolph Rose collection piece depicts a boy and girl sitting and reading on a bench.
The PGT Innovations-owned facility will accommodate parents working various shifts and will operate six days a week from 4:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., with flexible pick-up and drop-off hours to best fit the needs of working parents. Staffed by professionals trained by the YMCA and operated as a licensed and accredited facility, the center will offer curriculum-based programs, healthy meals and an outdoor playground to children aged six weeks to five years old.
“This partnership could be seen as a model for positive synergy between two organizations in our community and showcases PGT Innovations’ generosity toward its employees,” said SKY Family YMCA CEO Pat Ryan. “This forward-thinking initiative illustrates why PGT Innovations is such a sought-after place to work, and it will help recruit and retain talent in the region and serve a great need in our community. The benefits of early child care instill the cultural diversity of our community along with developing the whole child through mind, body and spirit."
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.
Built by Venice-based J.E. Charlotte Construction Corp., the Sunshine Education Academy contains an administration office, a multipurpose room, nine classrooms, which are equipped with child-sized lavatories and sinks and a safety system with access controls at the exterior doors.
Located at 101 Triple Diamond Blvd. in Venice, 50 children are currently enrolled, with a capacity for 99. Currently, 70 percent of the children enrolled are PGT Innovations’ employees or family members.
For more information, visit www.swflymca.org/main/sunshine-education-academy or call 941-375-9122.
About PGT Innovations
PGT Innovations, headquartered in North Venice, Florida with more than 2,800 employees statewide, creates value through deep customer relationships, understanding the unstated needs of an industry, a drive to create the strongest, safest products on the market and a commitment to always moving forward. The company's trusted brands include CGI®, PGT® Custom Windows + Doors and WinDoor®. PGT Innovations is 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 SmallCap 400 Index. 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.
