Latest news with #PalmBeachStateCollege
Yahoo
05-08-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Watch live: Chamber panel on education in Palm Beach County. What's next?
As part of the Chamber of Commerce of the Palm Beaches' Back to School breakfast, Palm Beach County school district Superintendent Mike Burke is part of a panel discussion on "Workforce Readiness in the Age of AI, which also includes: Dr. Ava Parker, president of Palm Beach State College; J. Nathan Green, vice chancellor for government & community relations, Vanderbilt University and Dr. Jennifer Illes, president of Keiser University. The event is at the Kravis Center Aug. 5. Watch the event live on the Post's YouTube channel here, or at Follow The Post's YouTube channel for more videos. The breakfast also includes invitations to every principal in the School District of Palm Beach County, the release of the 2025 Education Guide, a school supply and backpack collection for the Education Foundation of Palm Beach County and a post-event session called "Partnering with Principals, from 9-9:30 a.m. Vanderbilt University plans a down West Palm graduate campus Vanderbilt University is raising money for its planned downtown West Palm Beach graduate campus. Palm Beach County commissioners gave final approval to a contract with the Nashville-based university in October to build a graduate campus in West Palm Beach. The contract calls for Vanderbilt to spend at least $2.4 billion in the first 25 years and $5.3 billion in the first 50 years "in connection" with the school and related operations. The campus will include nearly 1,000 students in graduate-level business programs such as an Executive MBA and master's in finance, and in engineering and computing-focused fields like artificial intelligence, data science and computer science. PBSC to train students for high-paying EV jobs in 2026 Palm Beach State College will start training students for high-paying electric vehicle mechanic jobs starting in 2026, thanks to millions of dollars from the federal government that Congresswoman Lois Frankel requested in the spring. Frankel said that the public college would get more than $4.1 million to build garage bays, classrooms and labs to train students to work on electric vehicles, hybrids and other autos that burn little, if any, gasoline or diesel fuel. PBSC's Palm Beach Gardens campus is home to the SoFi Center, an arena that houses the new TGL indoor tech-golf league founded by golfing greats Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, who both live in Palm beach County. Keiser University plans to significantly expand its West Palm campus Keiser University recently announced plans to significantly expand its campus in West Palm Beach with a new, five-story residential hall and a five-story STEM center. The 155,000-square-foot residence hall is expected to house 592 students. The 100,000-square-foot science, technology, engineering and math center will specialize in what Keiser is describing as "multi-educational simulation." The university noted that it is "exploring additional enhancements to accommodate future growth toward a 5,000-student campus population and to solidify its role as a leading institution of impact in West Palm Beach." Keiser has campuses in 17 Florida cities, including its flagship residential campus in West Palm Beach, where this expansion is planned. It also has a campus in the city's western reaches off Jog Road. More: More than 90 Palm Beach County schools got As from state in 2025. How'd your school do? More: Nearly two dozen new principals to welcome students when school year begins More: See how your Palm Beach County school did on reading and math test results More: What do Palm Beach County Class of 2025 graduates say is next for them? ICYMI: See our 2025 graduation photo galleries This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Watch live: Chamber panel on education in Palm Beach County Solve the daily Crossword
USA Today
07-06-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
I'm a Florida teacher. My passion to teach could be in violation of the law.
I'm a Florida teacher. My passion to teach could be in violation of the law. | Opinion This is the real damage: When fear begins to replace curiosity, and when silence replaces speech. Show Caption Hide Caption What we know now about President Trump's reshaping of education Education, especially higher education, has been a major focus of President Trump's term. Here is what we know now about his changes to education. As I prepare to teach a new literature course at Palm Beach State College (PBSC) this term, I find myself hesitating over something that, until recently, would have been routine: Selecting the works I assign to my students. The anthology adopted by our department includes powerful selections from African American, Latino, Asian American and LGBTQ+ writers – voices that capture the richness, contradiction and struggle of the American experience. These are voices I have taught for decades. But now I ask myself: Am I allowed to? Florida's 2023 legislation – most notably, Senate Bill 266 – prohibits instruction that espouses theories suggesting systemic racism, sexism or privilege are inherent in the institutions of the United States and that they were created to maintain social or economic inequities. The language is broad, and the intent seems clear: Restrict the way educators discuss identity, history and power. But what is less clear is what this means in practice for teachers like me, particularly in college classrooms. I am a lifelong educator. I spent 36 years in the New York City Department of Education as a teacher, department chair and supervisor. For the last 12 years, I have taught English literature at PBSC. Does my passion to teach violate the law? My passion has always been to encourage students to read deeply, think critically and reflect honestly – especially about the kind of country we live in and the lives we each bring to the table. That requires a broad and inclusive literary canon. It requires teaching James Baldwin and Langston Hughes not only for their artistry, but also for the searing truths they offer about race and belonging in America. It means examining the cultural double-consciousness in Sandra Cisneros, the generational trauma in Ocean Vuong, the gender defiance in Audre Lorde. Literature becomes real when it speaks both to and through the student reading it. That is the essence of education. Opinion: We desegregated schools 71 years ago. We still have more work to do. But now, when I consider assigning those same texts, I worry: Will presenting such works – even neutrally, even for discussion – be seen as violating this law? If I ask students to consider the historical roots of injustice in a work by August Wilson or Toni Cade Bambara, could that be construed as "promoting a theory" rather than simply exposing students to a reality reflected in literature? Worse, the chilling effect has begun to erode the classroom itself. Faculty colleagues increasingly wonder whether they should self-censor – not out of agreement with the law, but out of a desire to avoid trouble. This is the real damage: When fear begins to replace curiosity, and when silence replaces speech. I do not seek to indoctrinate my students. I never have. I seek to challenge them, to open doors through literature that lead into the complicated, layered and sometimes uncomfortable questions that make up life in a pluralistic democracy. That is not political. That is educational. Opinion: As a college professor, I see how AI is stripping away the humanity in education Forbidding certain materials only limits our understanding Let us be clear: Removing or discouraging the inclusion of marginalized voices in the classroom does not eliminate discomfort. It only eliminates understanding. If our students cannot engage with difficult truths in college classrooms, where are they to encounter them? If we cannot safely present a range of American experiences through our literary heritage, what remains of our intellectual freedom? I do not write this out of defiance, but out of love – for teaching, for literature and for the role education plays in shaping thoughtful citizens. The danger of this legislation is not only in its enforcement but also in its ambiguity. It turns teachers into second-guessers. It turns students into cautious bystanders. And it risks turning Florida's classrooms into places where only the most neutral, safest voices are heard. But the world is not neutral. Literature is not safe. And education, at its best, is a form of illumination, not erasure. Carmine Giordano is an adjunct lecturer in English at Palm Beach State College. This column originally appeared in the Palm Beach Post.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Lifestyle
- Yahoo
As a Florida teacher, I must navigate education restrictions with integrity
As I prepare to teach a new literature course at Palm Beach State College (PBSC) this term, I find myself hesitating over something that, until recently, would have been routine: selecting the works I assign to my students. The anthology adopted by our department includes powerful selections from African American, Latino, Asian American and LGBTQ writers — voices that capture the richness, contradiction and struggle of the American experience. These are voices I have taught for decades. But now I ask myself: Am I allowed to? Florida's 2023 legislation — most notably, Senate Bill 266 — prohibits instruction that espouses theories suggesting systemic racism, sexism, or privilege are inherent in the institutions of the United States and that they were created to maintain social or economic inequities. The language is broad, and the intent seems clear: to restrict the way educators discuss identity, history and power. But what is less clear is what this means in practice for teachers like me, particularly in college classrooms. I am a lifelong educator. I spent 36 years in the New York City Board of Education as a teacher, department chair and supervisor. For the last 12 years, I have taught English literature at PBSC. My passion has always been to encourage students to read deeply, think critically and reflect honestly — especially about the kind of country we live in and the lives we each bring to the table. That requires a broad and inclusive literary canon. It requires teaching James Baldwin and Langston Hughes not only for their artistry, but for the searing truths they offer about race and belonging in America. It means examining the cultural double-consciousness in Sandra Cisneros, the generational trauma in Ocean Vuong, the gender defiance in Audre Lorde. Literature becomes real when it speaks both to and through the student reading it. That is the essence of education. Opinion: Bipartisan support suggests better sex ed in FL schools. It's the opposite. But now, when I consider assigning those same texts, I worry: will presenting such works — even neutrally, even for discussion — be seen as violating this law? If I ask students to consider the historical roots of injustice in a work by August Wilson or Toni Cade Bambara, could that be construed as 'promoting a theory' rather than simply exposing students to a reality reflected in literature? Worse, the chilling effect has begun to erode the classroom itself. Faculty colleagues increasingly wonder whether they should self-censor — not out of agreement with the law, but out of a desire to avoid trouble. This is the real damage: when fear begins to replace curiosity, and when silence replaces speech. I do not seek to indoctrinate my students. I never have. I seek to challenge them, to open doors through literature that lead into the complicated, layered, and sometimes uncomfortable questions that make up life in a pluralistic democracy. That is not political. That is educational. Opinion: As a professor, I see how universities are failing. We need a new approach. Let us be clear: removing or discouraging the inclusion of marginalized voices in the classroom does not eliminate discomfort. It only eliminates understanding. If our students cannot engage with difficult truths in college classrooms, where are they to encounter them? If we cannot safely present a range of American experiences through our literary heritage, what remains of our intellectual freedom? I do not write this out of defiance, but out of love — for teaching, for literature and for the role education plays in shaping thoughtful citizens. The danger of this legislation is not only in its enforcement, but in its ambiguity. It turns teachers into second-guessers. It turns students into cautious bystanders. And it risks turning Florida's classrooms into places where only the most neutral, safest voices are heard. But the world is not neutral. Literature is not safe. And education, at its best, is a form of illumination, not erasure. Carmine Giordano is an adjunct lecturer in English at Palm Beach State College. He lives in Lake Worth Beach, and wrote this for The Palm Beach Post. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: FL law could silence Black, LGBTQ voices in the classroom | Opinion
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Elite Palm Beach Fire-Rescue team takes part in statewide rescue competition
Palm Beach Fire-Rescue Lt. Walter Arcila braced himself as he used a circular saw to cut through a reinforced door. With his vision obscured, firefighter Lex May navigated quickly through a narrow tube. Also with his sight blocked, firefighter Tom Ardito launched himself through a small opening in a wall. The trio were among 10 Palm Beach Fire-Rescue personnel who participated in the Rapid Intervention Team competition on May 1 at Palm Beach State College near Lake Worth Beach. Two teams from Palm Beach took part in the Palm Beach State Invitational competition: Team 1 of Lts. Arcila and Stephen Montoya with firefighters Ardito, Austin Bohn and May; and Team 2 of Lts. Michael Bennett and Daniel DiRocco with firefighters Ryan Allen, Bruce Martin and Alex Park. The teams completed a grueling course with challenges that included breaking through a reinforced door, navigating tight spaces and rescuing a mock victim while in blackout conditions. Town of Palm Beach Fire-Rescue Rapid Intervention team members, firefighter Lex May, from right, Lt. Walter Arcila, firefighter Austin Bohn, firefighter Thomas Ardito, and Lt. Stephen Montoya, discuss their strategy for the RIT competition at Palm Beach State College on May 1. This was the second RIT competition for Palm Beach, which formed its first Rapid Intervention Team within the past year. Team members go through grueling training to be part of the team, said Assistant Fire Chief Joe Sekula, Fire-Rescue spokesman. While Palm Beach's pair of teams did well, they did not advance past the competition's first day, he said. While wearing a blackout mask that totally impedes his vision, a member of the Palm Beach Fire-Rescue Rapid Intervention Team (RIT) throws his body through a tiny window during the competition. "However, with just two competitions under their belt, they have already made a name for themselves and they are already looking forward to the next competition in Orlando in January," Sekula said. "They will take everything that they learned here and incorporate that into their training." The training is very specialized and results in an "elite" fire-rescue unit, he said. Sparks fly as Fire-Rescue Lt. Walter Arcila cuts through rebar. "That's very labor-intensive as you can imagine," Sekula said. "We are super proud of them!" Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Team 1 took first place, with Broward Sheriff's Office Fire Rescue Team 2 coming in second, according to the rankings released by Palm Beach State College. In third place was Largo Fire Rescue. Town of Palm Beach firefighter Lex May takes a knee before competing. The RIT competition was part of the larger Palm Beach State Invitational that took place throughout the weekend at Palm Beach State College's main campus near Lake Worth Beach. Teams also competed in vehicle rescue, emergency medical services and rope rescues. Kristina Webb is a reporter for Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at kwebb@ Subscribe today to support our journalism. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Palm Beach Fire-Rescue Rapid Intervention Team takes on competition
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
What's new at this year's Lake Worth Street Painting Festival and will artists beat the rain?
Tens of thousands of people will crowd into downtown Lake Worth Beach this weekend for the city's 31st annual Lake Worth Beach Street Painting Festival. The free festival, which organizers say draws about 100,000 visitors each year, will shut down Lake and Lucerne Avenues and several surrounding roads as hundreds of professional and amateur artists use the street surfaces to complete elaborate chalk drawings. The festival, hosted by the city government, will be managed for the first time by an organizing group with a well-known name: SunFest of Palm Beach County, which for decades ran the massive music-and-art festival of the same name in downtown West Palm Beach before announcing in November that it was postponed indefinitely. The Street Painting Festival was long managed by a non-profit set up to run the event, but when that group dissolved itself in 2021 the city government took over festival operations. That proved to be a time-consuming undertaking for city staff, so in December the city agreed to pay SunFest $271,000 to manage the event. 'They're just operating the day-to-day organization of the festival,' said Teanna McKay, the city's director of leisure services. 'We did that so the city staff can focus on city work.' McKay said this year's festival will have a higher number of professional artists brought in to produce street art — 48 in all — along with hundreds of amateurs. All told, more than 600 people are expected to paint. This year's event will boast more frequent shuttle service between the festival and free parking facilities at Palm Beach State College's main campus west of Lake Worth Beach. Also new: scannable QR codes posted around the festival that attendees can use to look up information about the artworks in front of them and the artists at work. Along with live music and a wide range of food vendors, McKay said the festival should draw more positive attention to the waterfront city. 'It's really an opportunity for us to showcase our hip and history community,' she said. Weather conditions are good with rain chances low at 17% on Saturday and 8% on Sunday with temperatures in the mid to upper 70s both days. But you might want to wait until next week to check out the magnificent art — rain chances go up to 88% on Monday. The festival hours are 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday. Lake Avenue and Lucerne Avenue will be closed to vehicles between Dixie Highway and Federal Highway from approximately 6 a.m. Friday until 10 p.m. Sunday. Where: Downtown Lake Worth Beach When: 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday Cost: Free Children: Street painting for kids is planned at the Children's Meadow Pets: Service animals only Entertainment: Food trucks and live music Access: Free shuttles to the festival are planned from the Lake Worth Beach Tri-Rail Station and the Lake Worth Beach campus of Palm Beach State College, 4200 S. Congress Ave. The shuttles run from Tri-Rail 10 a.m.-6 pm. both days and from PBSC 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday. Road closings: Lake Avenue and Lucerne Avenue will be closed to vehicles between Dixie Highway and Federal Highway from approximately 6 a.m. Friday until 10 p.m. Sunday. Andrew Marra is a reporter at The Palm Beach Post. Reach him at amarra@ This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: The Lake Worth Beach Street Painting Festival returns this weekend
