PENSACOLA, Fla. - Oct. 12, 2006 - Gulf Power Academy at West Florida High School has been named the nation's premier model for Small Learning Communities, and achieved a "Distinguished" rating from national evaluators. 

The Academy is a three-year curriculum that includes regular academic courses while preparing students for the business world and a career in the electric utility industry.

"Partnerships between businesses and education are creating strong workforces that are vital to building strong communities," said Susan Story, Gulf Power president and CEO. "We are extremely proud of the students and staff of the Gulf Power Academy – and our own employees who serve as mentors – for this national recognition. This program allows students to graduate from high school with the academic tools and the technical training to be successful immediately."

The Gulf Power Academy was evaluated against the National Standards of Practice for Small Learning Communities. This standard, endorsed by the National Association of Career and Technical Education (ACTE), has been developed as a model for high school reform.

Research in the past decade has shown that small school programs along with outside assistance, multiyear resources and a support network enhance student learning and achievement.

"The Gulf Power/West Florida High School partnership is one of the most outstanding business and education partnerships in the nation that we’ve seen at the high school level," said Sandy Mittlesteadt, a career academy national expert and author of a book on career academies.

Mittlesteadt was an evaluator at Gulf Power Academy this week along with John Heffner, past executive director of training for Associated General Contractors, who was responsible for creating career academies for the construction industry.

Mittelsteadt became aware of the Gulf Power Academy through her work at the Center for Energy Workforce Development (CEWD) and the recently formed Florida Energy Workforce Consortium.

The goal of both organizations is to address the dire need for skilled workers in the energy industry, and the Gulf Power Academy has become known throughout the nation for its success.

Gulf Power Academy, established in August of 2001, is a unique high school industrial electricity program that provides national industry certification to its students to prepare them for careers in the electric utility industry.

It encompasses a three-year career and technical program of study that stresses the understanding of all aspects of the electricity industry. Gulf Power funded the start up of this one-of-a-kind academy and helped develop the course curriculum.

The Academy is in its sixth year and has graduated two classes. Graduates have surpassed industry standards on national certification testing, and about half of the students have been hired immediately following graduation as entry-level employees at Gulf Power Company.

The majority of the remaining graduates have gone on to community colleges or universities to pursue degrees. Most of them have expressed the desire to come to work for Gulf Power Company once they get their degrees.

"This exemplifies an additional core strength of the program – each young person has every option available when he or she graduates high school," Story said. "And many of the young people we hire immediately after graduation pursue further formal education through our company’s tuition reimbursement program."

The program has earned Gulf Power a "Florida's Best" Award for "Exemplary Business and Education Partnerships" and has attracted attention from industry and education groups from all over the country.

The Small Learning Communities Distinguished rating and premier model designation places the Gulf Power Academy as the program in the United States that other groups will use for replication.

The Academy, as the only energy career academy and small learning community in the nation, will be used by other utilities and their education partners as a model to ensure they have a local skilled workforce.

The Small Learning Community evaluation looked at eight key areas including a sense of shared leadership and investment; support by the school, district and surrounding community leaders; consistent and meaningful educational experience over an extended period of time; and involvement of families and community.

A program is designated "Distinguished" overall if it is rated distinguished in seven of the eight criteria.

"We have created a direct path to provide highly skilled employees for our company," said Jennifer Grove, Gulf Power education and partnership coordinator, who developed the curriculum and helps coordinate the program.

"Having those efforts nationally recognized is a great achievement for the school and Gulf Power. The greatest accomplishment is the success of each student in our program."

The award will be officially presented at the National ACTE convention in Atlanta Nov. 29 – Dec. 2. Grove, along with West Florida High School Principal Lesa Morgan, will be presenters during the convention.
 

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