Class XX Education Day opened at four different schools, Fun Time Academy, Avalon Elementary, East Naples Middle School, and Golden Gate High School. After a brief overview, the class toured the individual schools. Then they had a quick question and answer session.
Following the Q&A, it was off to the Collier County Public Schools Administration Building, the Martin Luther King Administrative Center. There Class XX heard from Superintendent Dr. Kamela Patton, David Lawrence Jr., Chairman of Children’s Movement of Florida, who presented a challenging, informative, and entertaining talk about early childhood education. This session concluded with Yolanda Flores, Principal, giving an overview of Lawrence Walker Technical College (LWTC).
At the conclusion of that talk, the members of Class XX were back in their cars to drive to lunch. Lunch was prepared by the culinary students of LWTC.
Immediately after lunch, an informative tour of LWTC provided the class opportunity to stretch their legs while learning about the many program available at LWTC.
At the completion of the tour, Class XX explored volunteer opportunities at three Collier County organizations, Champions for Learning, New Horizons, and Literacy Volunteers of Collier County.
The final panel of the day was titled The Continuum of Learning–Education from Pre-School to Pre-Career.
Speakers from Fun Time Academy, Avalon Elementary School, East Naples Middle School, Golden Gate High School, and Southwestern State College each eloquently placed their institution on the continuum of learning. These presenters were enthusiastically engaged by the class with a spirited question and answer session.
As Class XX wrapped up Education Day, several key take-aways were evident. The size of the district is mammoth. The percentage of students from homes with English as a Second Language dominates the discussion of Collier County Public Schools. In this environment, there is a myriad of volunteer opportunities. The facilities of this district are world-class. The cost of a new high school will exceed seventy million dollars. Everyone was impressed by the passionate people on the school staff. Lastly, there is a crying need for teachers who meet the rigorous standards of Collier County Public Schools. [Linda Vaughn, Class XX]