Alachua County Public Schools has won a grant from the Florida Department of Education to develop a new child development career academy program for high school students.

The new magnet program, which will be established at Newberry High School in the fall of 2006, will be open to any high school student in Alachua County, with transportation provided. Students who successfully complete the program will graduate with a Child Development Associate Equivalency certification, which is now required for anyone working with four-year-olds under Florida’s universal prekindergarten program.

“There is and will continue to be a huge demand for certified people in this field,” said Nancy Iafrate, a teacher specialist for career and technical education with the district. “Very few people currently have that certification.”

The district is also working with Alachua County’s Early Learning Coalition, which coordinates the universal Pre-K program locally. As part of their curriculum, academy students will intern in child care centers to gain vital hands-on experience in working with young children.

“The child care providers I’ve talked to are very excited about this,” said Vicky Stark, executive director of the Coalition. “They really want to have students coming in who are motivated and interested in making a career in child care.”

Students who successfully complete the program will also have earned several credits toward an associate’s degree in Early Childhood Education at Santa Fe Community College (SFCC). The college is currently working with the University of Florida to develop a program that would allow the SFCC graduates to then move on to UF to earn a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education.

“This kind of program would allow students to ultimately become teachers or directors of childcare programs, which is going to be a very lucrative industry in Florida in the coming years,” said Fran Holm, Associate Vice President of Economic Development for SFCC. “And really, at several points throughout the program, the students are gaining new credentials and becoming more employable.”

This year, Newberry High School is once again offering child development classes to interested students. The classes were not available last year but were re-established this year due to demand among students and parents. Teacher Kim McConnell, who will coordinate the new academy, says the creation of a more comprehensive program will be a real benefit to students, including those who plan to go into other careers that involve children, such as teaching and pediatrics.

“Parents want people who will love, care for and nurture their children,” said McConnell. “We’ll be turning out students with the knowledge, skills and the passion for children they need to be successful in a number of fields.”

The state grant, worth $160,000, will fund the planning and development of the program during this school year, including the training of math, science and language arts teachers who will work with McConnell to develop a curriculum that incorporates both academic and career-related skills. For example, students will not only learn language arts, they’ll learn how to teach their young charges to read.

Alachua County Public Schools also won a $160,000 Succeed Florida grant to support the implementation of its new Fire and Rescue Services Academy at Loften High School. The academy, which opened this year with sixteen students, is a cooperative venture between the school system, Gainesville Fire Rescue, Alachua County Fire Rescue and Santa Fe Community College. It prepares students for careers as firefighters and other emergency personnel.