Lighthouse Learning Center for Children™ and Dedication of the Mary M. and Sash A. Spencer Campus

MIAMI LIGHTHOUSE FOR THE BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED BREAKS GROUND ON NEW LEARNING CENTER FOR CHILDREN

Miami Lighthouse for the Blind broke ground on a new addition to its growing campus ─ the 72,000-square-foot Lighthouse Learning Center for Children™ ─ during a ceremony held on Wednesday, August 3, 2016. The groundbreaking ceremony was held in collaboration with leading design and building professionals Wolfberg Alvarez & Partners and Munilla Construction Management. The Lighthouse Learning Center for Children™ is being designed and constructed as a safe, child-oriented environment with a wide array of tactile experiences through which toddlers and young children can learn about the world around them in an engaging and fun way. Elected officials, civic leaders and education professionals participated in the groundbreaking ceremony, along with Miami Lighthouse Board Directors and other supporters of Miami Lighthouse.

In addition to housing innovative intervention programs for youngsters from birth through four years old, the Lighthouse Learning Center for Children™ will provide the community with a first-of-its-kind pre-kindergarten program. Blind and visually impaired children from communities throughout Miami-Dade will attend alongside sighted classmates from the surrounding neighborhood. Miami Lighthouse is introducing this unique initiative, in partnership with Miami-Dade County Public Schools and the Early Learning Coalition, to more easily transition blind and visually impaired students to our public schools.

Established by Dolly Gamble under the inspiration of Helen Keller with the help of the Miami Lions and Miami Rotary Clubs, Miami Lighthouse is the oldest and largest private agency in Florida assisting persons of all ages who are blind and visually impaired. In 1935, the Miami Lions purchased a small bungalow house at 601 SW 8th Avenue, which was the foundation for expansion to our current state-of-the-art 55,000 square-foot facility. The Miami Lions Club and its Foundation continue to help Miami Lighthouse today and have contributed to this new expansion. The new facility was made possible by private donations in response to a challenge grant from a local philanthropist.

Miami Lighthouse is AER accredited distinguishing that an agency or school operates at the highest level of quality and is positioned to generate the outcomes needed by the clients.

Miami Lighthouse received the coveted Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce 2023 Nonprofit Business Innovative Excellence NOVO Award with an organizational budget of $2 million and above.

Miami Lighthouse ranks among the elite 1% of U.S. nonprofits having earned 13 consecutive 4-star ratings from Charity Navigator, the nation's premier independent nonprofit evaluator. Receiving such a distinction reflects our sound fiscal management, responsible use of donor dollars, and financial strength.

Early Intervention Blind Babies Program Named the Children's Trust 2016 Program of the Year. This most prestigious award recognizes this Early Intervention Program, in particular, for including parents as teachers.

Miami Lighthouse Learning Center for Children™ is a Florida gold seal and nationally Accredited Professional Preschool Learning Environment (APPLE)

Miami Lighthouse was recognized at the 2015 Florida Blue Foundation Sapphire Awards luncheon as an organization that has demonstrated excellence and innovation in community health.

Miami Lighthouse received the prestigious 2015 Beacon Award in Education at the 13th Annual Beacon Council Awards.

Miami Lighthouse is a two-time Charity Partner (2013 and 2014) of the Marlins Foundation and a 2017 Major League Baseball All-Star Game Legacy Partner. Our Florida Heiken Children's Vision Program has received over $300,000 in charitable donations through these partnerships.

Miami Lighthouse received the prestigious 2008 Concern Award from Health Foundation of South Florida.

Miami Lighthouse received a Silver medal at the 2016 Miami Today Gold Medal Awards Ceremony.

Miami Lighthouse named "Best of Miami" Charity 2017 by the New Times.

Miami Lighthouse received United Homecare’s 2012 Thelma Gibson Community Service Award at the 18th Annual Claude Pepper Memorial Awards Ceremony.

Miami Lighthouse received the prestigious South Florida Business Journal 2011 Excellence in Health Care Award in the Community Outreach category.

Miami Lighthouse honored by being named the recipient of the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce 2010 Non-Profit Business Diamond Award1.

Miami Lighthouse received the prestigious 2020 award for "Best in Nonprofit" campaign by PRWeek referred to as the "Oscars of the PR industry".