Governor Rick Scott announced today that 19 Florida companies â including Florida IHMC and Gulf Power â are interesting in taking part in the Governorâs new STEM teacher summer residency initiative. The initiative is part of the Governorâs âJobs for the Next Generationâ policy and will offer Floridaâs best STEM teachers the opportunity to build their skills in the private sector and translate them into their classroom teaching.
Governor Scott said, âFlorida has some of the best teachers in the country and they are on the front lines of educating our future workforce. We should be doing everything we can to develop their skills even more so they can give our students an even greater experience in the classroom. Students with a strong STEM background have a great opportunity to find a high-paying job and we want to foster their success.â
Teachers who take part in the Governorâs new program will receive a $10,000 stipend from the state and participating companies will be encouraged to provide additional compensation.
The 18 companies are as follows:
Chromalloy
Covanta Energy
CoWork Jax
Duke Energy Florida
Embraer
Entertainment Metals, Inc.
F4 Technologies, Inc.
Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition
Florida Power & Light
Gulf Power Company
Harris Corporation
Heat Pipe Technology
Hoerbiger Corporation of America, Inc.
ICTC
MiTek USA
Metal Essence
Northup Grumman
PharmaWorks
Timbar Packaging & Display
Stan Connally, President and CEO of Gulf Power Company said, âGulf Power Company is a strong supporter of STEM education and we clearly understand the critical role teachers play in building our stateâs future workforce. With our long history of engagement in education, Gulf Power applauds this innovative concept by Governor Scott and looks forward to hosting one or more STEM teachers through his proposed STEM teacher residency program.â
Kenneth Ford, Director of the Florida Institute of Human and Machine Cognition, said, âThe Florida Institute of Human and Machine Cognition appreciates Governor Scottâs focus on STEM education in his Jobs for the Next Generation policy proposals. Specifically, his proposal to provide STEM teachers with in-house opportunities in the private sector is a great way to build partnerships with K-12 education and create greater interest in these subjects with young students.â