👩🎓 Who: Choctawhatchee High School students, Okaloosa County School District, FPL, Superintendent Marcus Chambers, Lt. Col. Eric Lazenby, Cadet Lt. Col. Lillian Moellenbrink, J.T. Young
🛠️ What: Unveiling of a renovated classroom featuring an aerospace lab and flight simulator
📅 When: Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2024
📍 Where: Choctawhatchee High School, Fort Walton Beach, Florida
🎯 Why: To enhance STEM education and provide students with pathways to high-demand careers through hands-on learning technology
FORT WALTON BEACH — A classroom at Choctawhatchee High School has been transformed into a new aerospace lab and flight simulation center, funded through a $50,000 grant from Florida Power & Light Company (FPL).
The grant, awarded through FPL’s STEM Classroom Makeover program, supported the installation of new technology, including a flight simulator designed to give students hands-on experience with aviation. The updated classroom was officially unveiled on Tuesday during a ceremony attended by school officials, students, and representatives from FPL.
“I just feel like it brings up a lot of positive emotions for me, to be in this updated room, because I just love aviation,” said Cadet Lt. Col. Lillian Moellenbrink, a senior at Choctawhatchee High School.
Lt. Col. Eric Lazenby, senior aerospace science instructor at the school, said the upgrades elevate the learning environment. “With FPL’s grant money, we turned a first-class facility into a world-class facility,” Lazenby said. “I have never seen anything like this in a high school before.”
Okaloosa County Superintendent Marcus Chambers called the grant a step toward preparing students for high-demand careers in aviation and related fields. “This is more than just a simulator; it’s a gateway to high-skill, high-demand careers and a powerful example of how public-private partnerships can transform student outcomes,” Chambers said.
J.T. Young, FPL’s vice president and general manager of Northwest Florida, said the program reflects the company’s broader investment in education. “We firmly believe in the power of education and the difference it can make in the lives of our youth,” Young said.
Choctawhatchee High School was one of 20 schools in Florida to receive the grant for the 2024–25 school year. FPL launched its STEM Classroom Makeover program in 2020 to fund technology and resources for K-12 schools in economically disadvantaged communities.
Applications for the 2025–26 round of classroom makeover grants will open Sept. 30, according to FPL. More information is available at www.FPL.com/Education.
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