Ford Motor Honors Escambia Schools

January 18, 2009

Ford Motor Company Fund, the philanthropic arm of Ford Motor Company, will designate Escambia County and Santa Rosa County School Districts as a Ford Partnership for Advanced Studies Next Generation Learning Community (Ford PAS NGLC) at the Leadership Level, one of five in the country, on Tuesday, Jan. 27 at the Woodham Middle School Media Center.

In selecting Escambia and Santa Rosa, Ford Motor Company Fund cited its success in increasing the number of students with access to career academies, which teaches academics through the lens of a career. Ford also applauded both districts’ strong partnerships with area businesses.

The Ford PAS NGLC Leadership Level is the highest education accolade given to communities by Ford Motor Company Fund. The Escambia and Santa Rosa communities have reached program requirements for developing a successful and sustainable career academy network through the development of a two-county multi-year master plan. Since being designated as a Ford PAS Next Generation Learning Community in 2007,

Ford Motor Company Fund worked with both communities to provide technical assistance from a team of experts to help maximize their career academies by using the Ford PAS NGLC 12-Point Master Plan, which helps align career academies with future workforce and economic development trends.

As a part of this recognition, Escambia and Santa Rosa will have access to professional development for teachers and networking opportunities through Ford Motor Company Fund’s education initiative, Ford Partnership for Advanced Studies (Ford PAS). Created in partnership with the Education Development Center, Inc., Ford PAS provides high school students with high-quality, interdisciplinary learning experiences that challenge them academically and develop their problem-solving, critical thinking and communication skills. It enhances this curriculum by providing professional development for teachers and networking opportunities between communities using Ford PAS.

Sixty teachers from Escambia School District and Santa Rosa School District received Ford PAS professional development training in November. In addition, twenty Chamber businesses participated in a “Coordinated Learning Experience” session where they shared the training, education and skills needed by students for future success in their companies with these teachers.

The Pensacola Bay Area Chamber of Commerce is working with Escambia and Santa Rosa school districts to strengthen the career academy network for student and workforce readiness. This program ensures that the area has trained students to enter the workforce after high school in entry level positions with the option to continue their education at UWF or PJC.

Comments

One Response to “Ford Motor Honors Escambia Schools”

  1. Charlie Clark on January 18th, 2009 7:17 am

    I would like to know the names of the twelve “Chamber businesses” that shared their ideas of “the training, education and skills needed by students for future success in their companies” with the teachers. If we look at the types of businesses, we may ascertain more clearly local understanding of “Economic Development Trends.” I am curious to know how the “economic development trends” are driven by the Chamber Businesses and by the Chamber Economic Development functions. How many of these “companies” are service companies? How many are manufacturing companies that produce tangible products for sale beyond the local area?

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