Investing in the Future with New Center for Learning

Taylor Farms is proud to support local youth by investing in the Future Citizens Foundation’s (FCF) new 5,000 square foot Center for Learning. The new facility, which had its ribbon cutting grand opening yesterday, is officially called the “Taylor Farms Center for Learning,” and is located at The First Tee of Monterey County Campus in Salinas, California. It significantly expands the educational efforts of FCF’s First Tee of Monterey County and Pay It Forward Scholarship and Mentoring Program.

The main mission of this center is two-fold. It is meant to be a place where students can further their education and grow into their potential, but it also aims to provide an environment for the local youth to feel safe and secure.

After the ribbon cutting, everyone got to tour the center and see it in action, full of energetic students eager to start playing in their new center. It has two large classrooms, one outfitted with latest smart classroom technology, where students learn and practice coding and STEAM, and a dedicated area for the Pay It Forward Scholarship Program. During the tour, students enthusiastically showcased their design and coding skills using tablets provided by the center.

The specific programs offered through the center are designed to touch each level of the student’s life, from elementary school through college, and help them define success on their own terms. These programs include grade-specific tutoring, homework assistance, coding and website development classes, vocational exploration, college preparation, and mentoring support from volunteers — many of whom have been through the FCF’s First Tee program and are now in the Pay It Forward program.

Margaret D’Arrigo, VP of Community Development, Taylor Farms, touring the new Taylor Farms Center For Learning

“We don’t fight for equality of results, we fight for equality of opportunity,” said Bruce Taylor, Taylor Farms CEO, speaking to the students at the opening ceremony. “And what better opportunity than for you all to have a chance to develop the skills, the character, the tools you need to reach your potential, your promise in life. That’s what all this is all about.”

Bruce Taylor, Chairman and CEO, Taylor Farms addressing the crowd

The Center for Learning would not have been possible without the support of the Monterey Peninsula Foundation, Andy & Phyllis D’Arrigo Foundation, David & Susan Gill, and Mann Packing; as well as all of the workers and volunteers — none of this would work without you!

Barry Phillips, Future Citizens Foundation, addressing the crowd

Check out a glimpse of the ribbon cutting here: