JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — On Monday, Governor Ron DeSantis announced that he was awarded $6.5 million to Florida State College at Jacksonville to launch the Career Pathways for Public Service Initiative.
Polk State College and Broward College will also be receiving the funds.
The governor says the initiative will help prepare students for public service and careers in local or state government.
"It was great to award $6.5 million to create civics academies through three of our nation-leading state colleges,” DeSantis said. “This first-of-its-kind program will teach our future leaders foundational American values as they prepare for careers in public service.”
The announcement is part of DeSantis' larger Civic Literacy Excellence Initiative to develop civics curriculum and support the implementation of Florida's revised civics and government standards in K-12 public schools.
The three colleges will also partner with local school districts to include summer programming that will include certification exams in areas such as project management (PMP) and SCRUM, Advanced Microsoft Office, Adobe, and other instruction relevant to a career in public administration.
“FSCJ is honored to be selected for this grant, in partnership with Polk State College and Broward College, and is dedicated to collaborating on the development of a critical curriculum focused on producing a civically engaged, highly skilled workforce,” FSCJ President, John Avendano, said. “Through collaboration with the Florida Department of Education, Florida College System, the Lou Frey Institute, our school districts, and our local municipalities and businesses, our institutions will lead the way for quality workforce civic education in the State of Florida and beyond.”
The Lou Frey Institute will collaborate with the three colleges in building the curriculum, which is slated to be complete in August 2023. The Governor anticipates over 1,000 students enrolled in the program during the 2023-2024 academic year.
Courses will include public service leadership, careers and communication, experiential learning, pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship opportunities with local and state agencies, and a research seminar.
