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Ascent and FSU Inspire outline K–20 pipeline, teacher training and certifications for Northwest Florida
Summary
At a Triumph Gulf Coast board meeting, leaders of Ascent and FSU Inspire described expanded K–12 and teacher professional development efforts aimed at generating industry certifications and local tech talent across eight coastal counties.
Dr. Dorel Crittendon, director of the Ascent program, and Carrie Myers, co‑director of STEM outreach for FSU Inspire, briefed the Triumph Gulf Coast board on separate but related workforce initiatives the organizations have run and expanded across Northwest Florida.
Crittendon told the board Ascent is “a 10‑year, $23 million regional workforce initiative” backed by Triumph Gulf Coast that seeks to grow talent in cybersecurity and other technologies across eight coastal counties by combining K–12 STEM pipelines, adult upskilling and industry‑recognized credentials. He said Ascent’s spring Tech Expo drew about 400 visitors and more than 60 volunteers and that summer programs linked students with professionals and produced entry‑level digital credentials.
Myers described FSU Inspire’s first full year of work to deliver professional learning rooted in aerospace and advanced manufacturing. She said the program reached all eight partner counties this summer and trained almost 200 teachers across multiple cohorts; courses included AI‑powered instruction, AI engineering, and an introduction to classroom robotics. She said the program is converting a teacher training pathway into a three‑course stackable pathway and moving some coursework online for the academic year.
Why it matters: both presentations framed workforce development as a long‑term pipeline. Ascent emphasized early exposure and certified microcredentials for students and teachers; FSU Inspire focused on teacher skill building so classroom activities align with state standards while introducing AI and industry partners into classrooms.
Details from the presentations - Ascent said it runs K–12 camps, Tech Expo events, teacher capacity programs and stackable credentials such as Python and Adobe. Crittendon reported district‑level certification counts collected this cycle (examples given by county): about 127 certifications in the Gulf area, 113 in Bay County, 20 in Escambia and 10 in Franklin; Ascent said it aims to have all eight counties participating next year. - Ascent said it trained roughly 38 teachers who earned 127 certifications and supported Bay County teachers in earning an additional 88 certifications (figures presented by the speaker). - FSU Inspire reported nearly 200 teachers attended summer professional learning across eight partner counties; courses included AI instruction, AI engineering and an introduction to robotics. Myers said the program emphasizes co‑design with AI and aligning activities to state standards so administrators can adopt classroom changes.
Board and public response Board members and several attendees praised the work and funding outcomes. The presenters asked the board and local partners to identify organizations that could plug into program activities; board members named local economic development and school partners and encouraged continued expansion into rural counties.
What remains open Both programs described next steps — expanded online courses, additional county rollout, and industry partnerships — but did not request immediate new Triumph funding in this meeting. The presenters asked for continued collaboration and for staff and board members to identify local partners.
Ending Board members thanked the presenters and moved on to routine business. The briefings provided context for later discussions on workforce grant proposals on the consent and regular agendas.
