Gov. Ron DeSantis has awarded Polk State College, Broward College and Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ) $6.5 million to launch the Career Pathways for Public Service Initiative, which will develop a national model for preparing students for public service and careers in local or state government.
The civics academies will allow students to start preparing in ninth grade for meaningful careers while learning about the importance of public trust, government efficiency and the values of Florida and the nation.
This 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.
“It was great to award $6.5 million to create civics academies through three of our nation-leading state colleges,” said DeSantis. “This first-of-its-kind program will teach our future leaders foundational American values as they prepare for careers in public service.”
“A strong civics education is a necessity for those entering civil service,” said Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. “By providing a pathway for students to pursue careers in the public sector, Florida is ensuring a smarter, more efficient state and local government for years to come.”
“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,” said John Avendano, president of FSCJ. “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.”
Polk State College, Broward College, and Florida State College at Jacksonville will work in partnership with the Lou Frey Institute, which will serve as the lead curriculum developer for new statewide civics career academies.
The grant will support the development and implementation of no less than three regional civic pathway partnerships to be managed by the colleges. The three colleges will partner with their school districts to implement the civics career academies in their communities, anticipating more than 1,000 students enrolled in the 2023-24 academic year.
The civics career academies will launch in August 2023. 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.
Additionally, the partnership with local school districts will include summer 2023 programming at the three colleges to prepare students for industry certification exams in areas such as project management and Scrum, advanced Microsoft Office, Adobe and a variety of other industry certifications relevant to a career in public administration.
The colleges will also work with local municipalities to offer paid internships and pre-apprenticeships for students to gain real-world experience before graduating from high school to prepare them for careers in local and state government.
DeSantis announced the Civic Literacy Excellence Initiative in July 2021. Of the $106 million to establish the initiative, $6.5 million was allocated for the civics career academy program to develop partnerships between secondary schools and government institutions, and to allow students to explore government and public administration as a way to inspire the next generation of leaders in Florida.
In 2019, DeSantis set a goal to make Florida the number one state in the nation for workforce education. Since then, Florida has invested more than $5 billion into workforce education, expanded access to apprenticeship programs by registering more than 50 new programs for a total of more than 300 programs, and now there are more than 770,000 K-12 students enrolled in career and technical education programs — the most in Florida’s history.
While much of this training has been in programs that are useful for the private sector, such as diesel mechanics, nursing, CDL, information technology and manufacturing, this initiative will also advance the skills of those who will work in state and local government.
