Polk County Public Schools
Lakeland’s George Jenkins High is the first Polk high school that will receive additional funding under the state’s Career and Professional Education Act (CAPE). CAPE funding, as it is known, ties curriculum, testing and credentialing to industry and workforce standards.
George Jenkins will receive $13,883.35 in state money through CAPE funding for 13 students who received industry certification in Adobe software. Adobe software is used in the graphics industry to plan and build forms of digital design. The students were part of the school’s Academy of Design and Technology. George Jenkins teacher Jessica Salas was involved with the students earning the certifications.
In addition to receiving nearly $14,000, George Jenkins will receive an additional 18.65 points toward its 2010-2011 FCAT grade. The Florida Department of Education is rewarding schools with additional FCAT points for students earning industry certifications. The first year that industry certification points will be applied are for the 2010-2011 school year.
Students earning the certifications were Eric Dahlman, Justin Davis, Cody Evers, Justin Grant, Stephen Kish, Andrew Munday, Alexander Pitman, Alessandro Rossi, Michael Schneider, Zachary Sloman, Tyler Yates, Bradley Zakany and Jared Zumbrun.
“In addition to the funding and the FCAT points, most importantly, these industry certifications give our students the opportunity to obtain nationally recognized credentials applicable to a career or occupation in a high skill, high demand and high wage field,” said Serena Peeler, a teacher resource specialist in the school district’s Workforce Education Department.
The school district’s Workforce Education Department oversees the career and technical education academies at Polk’s high schools including the Academy of Design and Technology at George Jenkins High.
Three 2010 graduates of Polk County high schools received Excellence in Leadership Awards from Volunteer USA’s Teen Trendsetters Reading Mentors program.
The program pairs teens with second and third graders tutoring them in reading.
Receiving the leadership awards were Danielle Cherizard of Winter Haven’s Chain of Lakes High, Eva Rodriguez of Frostproof Senior High and Laurel Schmitzberger of Lakeland’s Harrison School For The Arts.
Teen Trendsetters is managed by the non-profit Volunteer USA Foundation and sponsored by Comcast. Comcast helps by providing funding for books used in the program and training for the tutors. Teen Trendsetters was begun in Florida in 2002 and has since expanded to eleven additional states. Polk is one of 125 active Teen Trendsetters Reading Mentor programs across the southeastern United States involving a total of 5,000 high school and elementary students regionally.
Click here for more information on the Teen Trendsetters Reading Mentors program.
