Science Teachers Selected for Grant Participation

Wakulla County High science teacher Ann Kennedy was selected by the district’s superintendent for a unique training opportunity made possible by a $25,000 grant from Progress Energy. The timing of this training is critically important because, in 2006-2007, student FCAT science scores are tied to school grades.

“Because science is a field that changes daily due to research, it is important to stay abreast of new developments,” said Brenda Crouch, a consultant with the Panhandle Area Educational Consortium (PAEC). “One of the best ways to stay current is to attend a national conference that offers pre-conference institutes and more than 1,200 concurrent sessions for science educators. Professional development of this caliber is expensive, and our small, rural districts cannot afford to pay for teachers to attend the conference and for travel costs associated with attendance.”

annkennedy 250 That is, until now. Kennedy joins eight other science teachers from northwest Florida who will attend the 55th Annual National Science Teachers Association National Conference March 29-April 1 in St. Louis, thanks to Progress Energy. (At left: PAEC Administrator Neal Meadows presents Ann Kennedy with her selection letter.)

PAEC received the grant to pay conference registration and travel costs for one science educator from northwest Florida school districts served by Progress Energy -- Gulf, Franklin, Wakulla, Jefferson, Madison, Taylor, Liberty, Gadsden and Hamilton. As grant partners, these districts will pay for travel costs associated with conference planning and post-conference activities, as well as for substitute teachers during the conference.

The grant’s objectives are:

• Expose teachers from low socio-economic status and rural areas to current, research-evidenced content, pedagogy and embedded technology to enhance teachers’ ability to meet Florida’s educational goal of increasing rigor and relevance in middle and high school science classrooms.

• Develop a capacity for transferal, sharing and dissemination of science information to other students and teachers via online and broadcast.

• Raise academic achievement of students in areas served by Progress Energy, statewide, and possibly nationally, as teachers infuse the acquired skills and updated science content knowledge into their daily practice and share those skills via broadcast.

“These teachers will develop lesson plans and provide leadership at the district level to ensure their new knowledge transfers to other science teachers and into the classroom,” Mrs. Crouch added. As a grant partner, PAEC will coordinate the teachers’ pre- and post-conference activities as well as administer grant funds.

Videographers from PAEC’s Florida Education Channel (FEC) will record teachers discussing their lesson plans and edit these presentations into broadcast-quality productions. FEC is available nationwide on DISH Network on 9418, thanks to a public service agreement.

Progress Energy Community Relations Manager Larry Watson said, "At Progress Energy, we understand the importance of our educational systems to the local communities throughout our service territory. Our continued support and commitment to education helps improve the quality of life in the panhandle region."

PAEC is Florida’s oldest regional educational service organization and has as its mission to help school districts attain highest student achievement, student by student across the consortium. By Florida statute, PAEC is owned and governed by its member school districts: Calhoun, FSU Schools, Inc., Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Liberty, Madison, Taylor, Wakulla, Walton and Washington, with Washington County serving as the consortium district of record.

Progress Energy (NYSE: PGN,) headquartered in Raleigh, N.C., is a Fortune 250 diversified energy company with more than 24,000 megawatts of generation capacity and $9 billion in annual revenues. The company’s holdings include two electric utilities serving more than 2.9 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida. Progress Energy also includes nonregulated operations covering merchant generation, energy marketing and natural gas exploration.

This article originally published on December 18, 2006.

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