Fun time early childhood academy
Who We Are & What We DoOur mission is to provide safe, quality, affordable education and care for children and parents from low-income working families and to prepare the children for kindergarten, ready to read and ready to learn!
with no other options,
Two women had a dream to nurture & educate kids close to home.
Decades ago, a band of determined educators teamed with parents to create Fun Time Nursery in the heart of Naples. Among this group were Alma and Herbert Cambridge and Ola Mae Mack. Together they dreamed and worked towards the day when children from their neighborhood could be nurtured and educated close to home.
“It just seemed natural to me that we had to provide for and teach our young children,” recalled Mrs. Cambridge. “At the time, there was no school for little children during the day, and the options for child care for children of color were nonexistent. We opened the doors to 12 students whose parents paid a very minimal tuition to get Fun Time started. Soon after, the United Fund began to help us, and then others in the community contributed.”
The Fun Time Nursery first opened its doors in 1961 as a small classroom within the Old Carver School under the direction of Mrs. Cambridge. The school was 100% African American until 1965, when Mrs. Pat Schultheis joined as a teacher and placed her son, Buddy, in Fun Time. Our easy relationship with integration began.
In 1967, Novella Williams joined the staff and remained until 1998, seeing Fun Time through its formative years as a center for child activities in the River Park neighborhood and as an education site for children from downtown. Mother Perry also worked at Fun Time as a cook and then Director.
Throughout its history, the early childhood development center focused on learning through a research-based, creative curriculum and worked to meet the needs of students and their parents, setting hours of operation around their work schedules. In 1975, the hours of operation were set at 6:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
In 2009, Fun Time moved from a 4,200-square-foot, 36-year-old trailer to its current 8,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility featuring six classrooms, a multipurpose room for parent meetings and staff events, the Founders’ Room, offices, a kitchen, two playgrounds and a garden.
The current building, with its safety, security and increased potential for delivery of educational opportunities, represents a vast improvement for students, teachers and administrators.
Ensuring the success of Fun Time is ensuring the success of future generations and our community.
caring for the children of our community
Meet the Team
Our dedicated staff ensure these children are learning and having fun every day.
Administrative

executive director
Jessica Campbell

education director
Darlene Spano

Site director at Poinciana
Jamie Eskridge

DONOR & DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
Beth Sterchi

Marketing & Communications Coordinator
Bianca Bellido

site director
fany delgado

human resources
mika nikolic

Accounting Manager
Peter Gould
Teachers

teacher
Analiz Perez

TEACHER
Elizabeth Pedregal

teacher
Monique Atkinson

TEACHER
luz de la pena

TEACHER
Narcisa Cappelluti

TEACHER
Michelle Fonte

teacher
Cester Williams

TEACHER
Chrislande Dera

TEACHER
Carmen Guerrero

TEACHER
Suchity Jordan

TEACHER
Maddie Mendez-Constable

floater
sherry stanley

teacher
Carmen Starkweather

Teacher
Rachel Thielen

Chef
Sandy Ecker

TEACHER
diana rodriguez

teacher
candace perez

teacher
maria granda

Teacher
jessica henson

teacher
erin passaretti
caring for the children of our community
Meet our Board of Directors
A diverse and dedicated group of people who believe in educating tomorrow’s leaders today.

board chair
Kris pfaehler

Immediate past chair
ann olson

secretary
karen hopper

asst. treasurer
darrell balmer

treasurer
karen lutz

director
Alexis Barkis

director
tom Campbell

Director
Pam Heffernan

Director
don lawson

director
roger schorr

Director
Fran O'Sullivan

director
Lisa Sanchez

director
tony urick

director
kelly saylor
DIRECTORS EMERITI
RON CIESLA
JANET GABLE
DOUG JOHNSON
CONNIE MESSNER
MAUREEN O’GORMAN
VAL TROTMAN
MAUREEN DENMAN
OTTO IMMEL
JINNY JOHNSON
DICK MUNRO
BOB POLIZZOTTO
MICHAEL WATKINS
JIM DERHAM
CRAIG JILK
ROBIN LARKIN
MARSHA MURPHY
GARY ROOT
SKIP ZINK
KIM DILLON
MARY BETH JOHNS
SUSAN MANION FREY
LYNN NOLAN
RUSTY TROTH
Students Enrolled
Children graduated
Committed Board & Staff
Years Caring For Children
