NEFEC's STEM initiative is supporting districts in the implementation of their unique STEM plans by assisting with stakeholder awareness and buy-in, providing professional development, and facilitating the network of schools, higher education, and business.
According to the 2010 Florida Council of 100's report, Closing the Gap, within a decade nearly 9 out of 10 new jobs will require education beyond a high school diploma and credentials in a STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) discipline. Florida's business community has predicted that the state's economy will be adversely impacted if the education system cannot produce highly skilled and educated STEM-proficient workforce.
NEFEC recognizes that it is even more difficult for our small, rural districts to produce an effective STEM workforce due to the expense of needed resources for a successful STEM program. Therefore we are working with the Panhandle Area Educational Consortium (PAEC) and Heartland Educational Consortium (HEC) to provide learning experiences for students through the FloridaLearns STEM Scholars program and supporting teacher professional development through a partnership with P.K. Yonge Developmental School called U-FUTuRES.
Spotlights
Sign In