As Fuller Center celebrates its 55th birthday, longtime supporters Jo Ann and Phil Procacci represent something essential to both its legacy and its future: a community that believes every child deserves the opportunity to succeed. Over the years, the Procaccis have supported Fuller Center in meaningful ways—from Jo Ann’s past adoption of a VPK classroom to their longstanding support of the Wee Dream Ball, Fuller Center’s signature fundraising event. Their continued involvement reflects the kind of commitment that has allowed Fuller Center to grow, strengthen its programs, and reach new heights for children and families.
Fuller Center serves nearly 1,000 children and 700 families annually while achieving some of the strongest educational outcomes in its history. For the second consecutive year, 100% of Fuller Center’s Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (VPK) graduates were kindergarten-ready, compared with 72% of VPK graduates statewide. Fuller Academy students are outperforming statewide peers in reading and math. Children receiving intensive literacy intervention are making significant gains. And an expanding Teen Leadership Program is creating new opportunities for young people through age 22 to prepare for college, careers, and adulthood.
At 55, Fuller Center is not slowing down. It is building upon decades of community investment to expand opportunities for the next generation.
“What keeps us coming back to Fuller Center is the heart of the organization and the difference it makes for children and families every day, said Jo Ann Procacci. “For more than a decade, Phil and I have seen firsthand how Fuller provides affordable, reliable, high-quality care year-round, giving parents peace of mind and children the strong foundation they deserve. The teachers and staff truly love what they do, and that love is felt in every classroom, with every child and family they serve.”
A Strong Start Can Change Everything
Jo Ann’s experience adopting a VPK classroom years ago gave her a close-up view of one of Fuller Center’s most important priorities: preparing children to succeed from the very beginning.
Kindergarten readiness is much more than knowing letters, numbers, shapes, and colors. Young children are developing language and early literacy skills while also learning how to communicate, follow directions, solve problems, build relationships, and become increasingly independent.
Fuller Center’s recent VPK results demonstrate what is possible when high-quality education, experienced teachers, supportive families, and community investment come together.
For donors, the impact of that investment may not always be visible immediately. A book placed in a child’s hands, an enriching classroom experience, or additional support for a teacher may
seem small in the moment. But those experiences accumulate, helping build the skills and confidence a child carries into kindergarten and beyond.
“I’m grateful for the years I spent participating in Fuller Center’s Adopt-A-Class Program,” said Jo Ann. “It was a joy to help provide VPK students with meaningful experiences outside the classroom, such as field trips to the Miami Seaquarium and Palm Beach Zoo to opportunities to learn and experience things they may not have otherwise had the chance to enjoy.”
Taking Academic Success to the Next Level
As Fuller Center has grown, so has its commitment to academic excellence. Fuller Academy, Fuller Center’s private elementary school, is demonstrating that children can achieve at high levels when expectations are high, and students receive the individualized attention they need. Most recently, Academy students achieved reading proficiency rates of four percentage points higher than the state average and math proficiency rates 22 percentage points higher than students statewide.
That commitment to academic achievement extends beyond the school day. Through Fuller Center’s Out-of-School Time program, the organization has made literacy intervention a major priority for children who need additional support.
Recognizing the academic challenges many children experienced during and after the pandemic, Fuller Center launched an intensive Literacy Intervention Program as part of its Out-of-School Time programming. Children work in small cohorts several times each week, allowing instructors to identify specific needs and provide targeted support outside of the traditional school day.
The early results have been dramatic, with participating students more than doubling reading levels and literacy skills in the program’s inaugural year, and some children demonstrating even greater gains.
A child who once avoided reading begins volunteering to read aloud. A student who struggled to keep pace with classmates starts gaining confidence. Parents who worried about whether their child would ever catch up begin seeing a different future.
“Our 55th birthday gives us an opportunity to appreciate the extraordinary community that built Fuller Center, but what excites me most is what we are accomplishing right now and where we are going next,” said Eric Roby, CEO of Fuller Center. “We are setting higher expectations, achieving stronger outcomes, and creating opportunities for children that once may have seemed out of reach. Longtime supporters like Jo Ann and Phil have been an important part of the community that has allowed Fuller Center to keep growing and reaching higher.”
Staying With Children as They Grow
Fuller Center’s vision for the future extends well beyond early childhood and elementary education.
One major area of growth is the Teen Leadership Program, serving ages 14–22 across both campuses.
The program provides mentorship, leadership development, career exploration, employability skills, community service, and real-world experiences designed to help young people make positive choices and prepare for adulthood.
Fuller is now making an unprecedented investment in the program’s growth, with plans to provide up to 250 days of support each year and direct transportation from area high schools to Fuller Center campuses.
The expansion represents how Fuller Center itself has evolved. An organization once primarily associated with childcare is increasingly able to walk alongside children through multiple stages of their lives—from their first classroom experiences to the decisions that will shape their careers and adulthood.
When a Child Succeeds, a Family Can Change
Educational opportunity is only part of Fuller Center’s work.
For many families that Fuller serves, a child’s success is closely connected to the stability of the entire household. Ninety-six percent of Fuller families are considered low- to extremely low-income, and more than 90% are frontline workers.
Fuller Center’s Family Empowerment Team works alongside parents to help address challenges before they become crises. Families can access counseling, financial literacy education, career development, scholarships, health services, and connections to more than 50 community partners.
In 2025 alone, Fuller Center provided 2,361 health screenings, helping identify developmental concerns early and connecting children with on-campus therapy and specialized services when needed. Fuller also provides more than 332,000 healthy meals and snacks annually, helping to address another fundamental requirement for children to learn and thrive.
The impact of this comprehensive approach can be seen in families like Maryabeth Tovar’s.
Maryabeth’s Fuller Center journey began in 2015 when her daughter, Zoe, enrolled at the West Campus. Having recently arrived in the United States from Venezuela as a single mother, she was determined to build a better future for her family.
While her children were learning and growing at Fuller, Maryabeth participated in ESOL classes and received support from Fuller’s Family Empowerment Team. She strengthened her English, continued her education, and pursued increasingly ambitious professional goals.
In 2023, Maryabeth became a Licensed Practical Nurse. Two years later, she earned her Associate Degree in Nursing and became a Registered Nurse. Both of her children have taken part in Fuller Center programs.
Celebrating 55 by Looking Forward
Today, Fuller is preparing children for kindergarten, educating elementary students through its private elementary school, providing intensive literacy intervention through its Out-of-School Time program, guiding teenagers toward adulthood, helping parents advance their careers, addressing health and developmental needs, and connecting families with resources that can create greater stability.
For Jo Ann and Phil Procacci, that commitment has taken different forms over the years. Jo Ann’s past participation in Adopt-a-Class provided a personal connection to the children at the heart of Fuller’s mission. Today, the Procaccis continue their longstanding support of the Wee Dream Ball, helping ensure Fuller Center has the resources to continue growing and responding to the needs of children and families.
“What I hope people understand about Fuller Center is that it is so much more than an early childhood education center,” said Jo Ann. “Fuller supports children from infancy through their teen years, while also helping families access the tools and opportunities they need to build a brighter future.”
That continued support is especially meaningful as Fuller Center prepares for this year’s Wee Dream Ball on November 13 at Boca West Country Club. The annual event brings the community together to celebrate Fuller’s children and raise critical funds for its programs.
Longtime supporters like Jo Ann and Phil Procacci have helped Fuller Center come this far. And with the continued support of a community that believes in its mission, there is no limit to how much further Fuller Center’s children and families can go.
Tickets for the Wee Dream Ball, November 13 at Boca West Country Club, are now on sale. For tickets and other information, visit fullercenterfl.org/weedreamball.
