FPL and Consortium of Florida Education Foundations award INK! EmPOWERing STEM Educators grant

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. - Nov. 10, 2023 - PRLog -- Florida Power & Light Company (FPL), in partnership with the Consortium of Florida Education Foundations, recently awarded $10,325 to the St. Johns County Education Foundation as part of the company's statewide EmPOWERing STEM Educators initiative. The EmPOWERing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) grant supports STEM-focused peer-to-peer professional development to increase teacher knowledge of effective math and science instructional practices that align with Florida Standards.

Operating as Investing in Kids (INK!), the St. Johns County Education Foundation has an ongoing mission to provide innovative programs, teacher support, and classroom resources to promote success for teachers and students in the St. Johns County School District. The grant application was submitted by INK! in collaboration with local science educators Steve Kirsche and Marna Fox to equip teachers with the tools and knowledge to successfully pass a State of Florida certification exam and provide transformative learning to support their teaching with the goal of improving student learning. INK! will administer the grant funds while Kirsche and Fox implement their peer-to-peer professional development program to support seven science educators in St. Johns County middle and high schools. Science educators throughout the St. Johns County School District were invited to participate in the program; many are second career teachers. Participants currently teach at Pacetti Bay Middle School, Fruit Cove Middle School, R.J. Murray Middle School, Bartram Trail High School, St. Augustine High School, and Tocoi Creek High School. The program will conclude in the Spring of 2024.

FPL is partnering with the Consortium of Florida Education Foundations to bring the EmPOWERING STEM Educators Program to school districts throughout the state. Since 2010, the Consortium has administered hands-on, workplace-based STEM classroom learning experiences to increase student awareness and interest in STEM careers and teachers in math and science.

The St. Johns County Education Foundation, Inc., which operates as Investing in Kids (INK!), promotes success for all St. Johns County public school students and teachers by providing innovative programs, teacher support, and classroom resources to benefit more than 52,000 students and approximately 3,200 teachers. INK! is a 501(c)3 education foundation with offices located at 1 Christopher St. in St. Augustine. For more information, contact Cathy Newman at catherine.newman@stjohns.k12.fl.us or 904-547-7120 or visit the website at www.ink-stjohns.org.