Pinellas Education Foundation Receives Grant to Expand Career Academies in Pinellas County Schools

The Pinellas Education Foundation (PEF) has been selected as one of four communities in the state of Florida to be awarded a $200,000 grant from FACTE/ Ford PAS Foundation to support the expansion of career academies in Pinellas County Schools. The Ford PAS Next Generation Learning program mobilizes educators, employers, and community leaders to create a new generation of young people who will graduate from high school both college- and career-ready—an emerging workforce prepared to compete successfully in the 21st century economy.

Victor Hernandez and Edward Fletcher participated on a meeting with the visiting FACTE/FORD Pas Foundation team on February 24, 2010, as part of a stakeholders group including Career Education Board members, business, civic, and post-secondary leaders. Victor Hernandez has served on the PEF's Career and Technical Education Board since 2009. At the meeting, the group did an excellent job representing what the Pinellas Education Foundation and Pinellas County are doing to advance career and technical education in the county.

The mission of the Pinellas Education Foundation is to enhance and improve educational opportunities in Pinellas County Schools and the grant will provide an opportunity to work closely with Ford Foundation staff to implement reform strategies in career education following the Ford PAS framework. The first step is the completion of a self-assessment which will give the Pinellas Schools a better idea of the areas in which the project will focus. The goal of the grant is the creation of a Master Plan which will drive the expansion of career education in middle and high schools, and should serve as a roadmap to student success in Pinellas county.

PEF is led by Terry Boehm who is serving as President. Eric Zimmer, Foundation Board member and business owner, will serve as the Community Coordinator for the project.