Recognizing the need for small and rural districts to enhance science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) curricula for gifted and talented secondary students, the Panhandle Area Educational Consortium (PAEC), in partnership with the Heartland Educational Consortium (HEC), and the North East Florida Educational Consortium (NEFEC) will implement the FloridaLearns STEM Scholars (FLSS) program.
This program includes innovation to make more rigorous STEM courses available, STEM Summer Challenges led by university staff and STEM professionals, increased opportunities for real-world STEM problem-solving and research, and academic and career guidance from qualified counselors. The program will also enhance educators’ ability to provide instruction addressing specific learning needs and building on the strengths of each student. This initiative will enable participating students to make informed career choices and create a framework to increase the likelihood of their success in post-secondary STEM curricula or in the workplace. Two significant by-products are the collaboration of students from across the state and the networks fostered among business, post-secondary, agency, military and education professionals.
