BAY AREA EDUCATION ALLIANCE WINS NATIONAL PARTNERSHIP IN EXCELLENCE AWARD
Students from Bay County middle schools design and test remote operated vehicles with the assistance of interns and engineers from Naval Support Activity Panama City during the 2023 Future Physicists camp at FSU Panama City.
Bay Area Education Alliance (BAEA), which includes Florida State University Panama City, on Wednesday received the Pete Taylor Partnership of Excellence Award from the Military Child Education Coalition during a ceremony in Washington, DC.
The award recognizes collaborative efforts and educational projects between Bay County’s schools and military installations that benefit military-connected children.
In addition to FSU PC, the BAEA includes Naval Surface Warfare Center (an entity of Naval Support Activity Panama City), Tyndall Air Force Base, Gulf Coast State College and Bay District Schools. BAEA also received the partnership award in 2011, 2015, 2018 and 2022.
FSU PC Dean Randy Hanna said a leading example of the partnership is the united effort to encourage STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) studies among middle- and high school-age students. For instance, the recent Future Physicists of Florida camp brought NSA PC engineers and interns to FSU PC to teach eighth-graders about submarine and surface remote-operated vehicles.
“We are proud of the long history of collaborative initiatives that have enhanced and promoted STEM outreach to military-dependent children in Bay District Schools and surrounding counties,” Hanna said. “The Bay Area Education Alliance serves our Northwest Florida communities by consistently providing STEM volunteers, enrichment, competitions, materials and internship opportunities.”
In addition, the newly established Collegiate School at FSU PC was designed to reserve half of its enrollment for the children of active-duty military parents.
The Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC) is a Texas-based nonprofit that supports all military-connected children by educating, advocating and collaborating to resolve education challenges associated with the military lifestyle. One of the organization’s goals is to foster a strong community of partners committed to a supportive environment where military-affiliated children thrive.
The partnership award is named for retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. H.G. “Pete” Taylor, former commanding general of Fort Hood, Texas.
In 2021, there were about 1,800 military-affiliated students in Bay County schools, according to information from Tyndall AFB’s 325th Fighter Wing public affairs office.