A high school engineering/robotics club has turned into a model program for implementing career academies in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) across Tampa Bay, Florida, according to a recent Tampa Bay Business Journal article.
The Career Technical Education Foundation (CTEF), a program that began at East Lake High School in Tarpon Springs and now extends across several counties, is providing opportunities for student learning, community engagement and business and industry involvement. CTEF’s mission is to create and implement college-preparatory and career-based internships and apprenticeship programs at the secondary level by partnering with local education systems.
Those partners include MITRE Corp., The Nielsen Co. and Southern Manufacturing Technologies. Another partner includes the Bauer Foundation Corp., which hosts a six-week summer program that exposes students to hands-on experience in accounting, engineering, estimating, and presenting.
“These kids come in and say, ‘I was lost and now I’m found,’ and they can’t wait to start their senior year,†said Chick Puccini, president and CEO of Bauer, a Florida corporation and the U.S. subsidiary of the worldwide operating BAUER Group.
There are now 600 students enrolled in the CTEF program.
Erin Uy, Communications & Marketing Manager
Tags: business and industry partnerships, career academies, Florida, news, STEM