St. Lucie County, FL -The Education Foundation of St. Lucie County sponsored the September Economic Development Council members luncheon at the Schreiber Center on the Pruitt Campus of IRSC. The keynote speaker was E. Wayne Gent, Superintendent of St. Lucie Public Schools.
Superintendent E. Wayne Gent provided an educational update during the Economic Development Council’s Investors’ Lunch Meeting. With a focus on the School District’s positive momentum and escalating graduation rates as well as career and technical opportunities, he stressed how the need is greater than ever for the next generation to be prepared to deal with the demands of a complex world and economic realities.
Thom Jones, President of the Education Foundation, made a presentation on a new program called the STAR Scholars and Workforce Readiness Program. This program aligns businesses with specific curriculum in our public high schools to help inspire students to graduate work ready. Local businesses can join the program by becoming a business mentor and working within a specific CTE class (Career & Technical Education). As an example, car dealerships and automotive repair businesses can sponsor students in the CTE automotive program. Each mentor will introduce students to the particular needs of their business and inspire the student to stay in school. The students can be identified for a future job and a fully prepaid scholarship to help them continue their education while working.
This program was created by the St. Lucie County Education Foundation, a 501 c 3 not for profit organization created to further k-12 public education along with the Florida Prepaid College Foundation and the Consortium of Florida Education Foundations. Local partners include the School District, SLC EDC, The SLC Chamber of Commerce and the Boys and Girls Clubs. The goal is to sponsor 50 HS students for two years, starting at the junior level, who are identified as at-risk students. For more information, please visit www.efslc.org.
