About Us

Grace Community School was founded in 1986 by Rev. Ellsworth McIntyre and family. The first location was built in Naples, Florida and its doors opened to the public. Children from Christian and non-Christian families alike, were welcome to enroll their children. Rev. McIntyre, along with his wife and children, worked tirelessly to provide an uncompromising Christian education for the young children that came daily to their school. Grace Community focused on instructing its students daily in the Ten Commandments through recitation with application, along with a oral systematic teaching of the various Bible stories with the use of picture cards.

With the Word of God as the foundation of education at Grace Community, the students also received a unique and thoroughly original academic program. The catch slogan was born, “Instead of Daycare, Why not School?” Grace Community became the only educational program serving children under the age of five in SW Florida that could produce literate children. The program’s success quickly lead to its second slogan, “Our Preschoolers Can Read!” Not only did the parents enrolled in Grace Community notice the success and difference in which the Biblical and Academic programs make in the lives of these children, but other daycares and even the public schools began to see the results coming out of Grace Community compared to the average secular daycare facility. Soon the enrollment swelled and new Grace Community locations were opened.

The credit for the overwhelming success of Grace Community Schools is given to God alone. Without his daily provision of guidance and care Grace Community could not be what it is today. For this cause Rev. Ellsworth McIntyre and his family, through Grace Community Schools, has started an apprenticeship program in which to train like minded Christians that see the world’s desperate need for the good news of Christ, and the direction that can only be found in His Word.Over the past twenty -five years Rev. Ellsworth McIntyre and family have been responsible for the opening of  schools in Naples, Bonita Springs, Fort Myers, North Fort Myers, Cape Coral, and Port Charlotte, bringing the total number of schools opened so far to eight separate locations, covering three counties in SW Florida. Grace Community Schools started out as one school serving under one hundred families. Over the past twenty-five years Grace Community has grown to these eight locations serving over 2,000 children and families daily.

The Apprenticeship Program is a three year program that gives young men and women the practical abilities and credentials in order to succeed. For the full details on this program visit the “Apprenticeship” page of this website.

Rev. Ellsworth McIntyre wrote and published his book in 1997 entitled, “How to Become a Millionaire in Christian Education,” in which he set forth his personal testimony, and what led him to create Grace Community School in 1986. For information on how to purchase this book or for more information visit our “Books/Media” page.