Governor Scott in town to promote STEM Funding

FORT MYERS, Fla.- Governor Rick Scott was in Fort Myers today to promote STEM Funding in his ‘Keep Florida Working’ budget for 2015-2016.

STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and math. The governor is pushing for the highest k-12 public education budget the state has seen, and STEM is a big part of that.

He spoke at local tech manufacturing company Entertainment Metals at 10 a.m.

The governor wants to spend $1 million for STEM teachers to enroll in summer residency programs at local tech firms, so they can get first-hand experience in the field and bring it back to the classroom. Basically, the teacher would have the opportunity to have a paid internship in the field they teach. The goal is to get students interested in STEM fields and help prepare them for the workforce. So far, 16 companies are on board across the state, including Entertainment Metals.

The governor wants to also spend $5 million to entice colleges and universities to offer STEM-area degrees that would cost students $10,000 in tuition. He’s also proposing $30 million for STEM workforce training.

Members of the Lee County School District were at today’s announcement, including Superintendent Dr. Nancy Graham. She says this is an exciting opportunity.

This weekend also marks Lee County’s annual STEMtastic event. More more information, visit http://ace.leeschools.net/STEMtastic/Index.html.