Sixteen-year-old Callie Post spends her summer mornings cruising the Indian River Lagoon aboard a pontoon boat, helping younger students explore mangroves and seagrass beds. It’s not your average teenage summer job, it’s a hands-on marine science internship at Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute.
Post is one of 51 high school juniors and seniors participating in a new, paid summer internship program for St. Lucie Public Schools students. The initiative is organized by the Economic Development Council of St. Lucie County (EDC) through its nonprofit arm, the Treasure Coast Center for Economic & Educational Development (TCCEED), in partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Lucie County and the school district.
“This is the holy grail,” said Roderick Natta, Executive Director of Federal and Special Programs at St. Lucie County Schools. “It helps kids see the connection between what’s been taught in classrooms and the practical applications of that knowledge that they’ve gained.”…