Grace Jones was a Bahamian immigrant who lived in Marathon. He husband worked off shore in the sponge industry. She came to the Keys in 1912 and went on to raise her children here in the Keys. 

During this time, the only schools were in Key West. So, it didn't matter where you lived, you had to send your children over an hour each way, just to provide them with an education. It didn't seem right that they couldn't be educated in their own community.

Grace talked to everyone she could about it. The School District, The Mayor, the Governor - anyone who would listen.

Eventually, she got her way, and the Grace Jones Daycare Center was opened in Marathon. It was a room in a church hall with a leaky roof, but at least they were close to home.

From there, her mission expanded and so did the school. Today, the Grace Jones Childcare Center is the gold standard for early childhood education. Serving more than 100 families in the Middle Keys