The Monroe County School District received word from benefactors John Padget and Jacob Dekker that they are supporting an extension and an expansion of the COMPUTE$ program. COMPUTE$ is a student incentive program that rewards students for their achievement of industry recognized Microsoft certifications. “ COMPUTE$ has proven to be an outstanding program and I am excited to announce that it is continuing and will also be expanding,” Superintendent Mark Porter announced today. Porter added, “The intended outcome of providing a catalyst to encourage student participation and completion is well-proven and the opportunity to extend this to even more students in 2015-2016 is exciting.”
Initiated in August 2014, COMPUTE$ has already awarded nearly 100 cash prizes to Monroe County students. Key Westers John Padget and Jacob Dekker have promised additional funding through June 30, 2016, in support of COMPUTE$. “We will continue the MOS certificate prizes until the first 250 students have been certified,” Padget said. “This is the program announced last year. Nearly 100 prizes have been given out, but another 150 prizes worth about $30,000 are waiting to be claimed.” Padget added, “In addition, we want to promote the accumulation of additional computing certificates, so we will award $250 prizes to any student who can complete a second certificate before Melanie Stefanowicz, head of Adult and Career Education at the Monroe County School District, said “ COMPUTE$ will award the second certificate for any course listed on Florida’s K-12 Funding List. Certificates from Microsoft, Adobe, Oracle, CompTIA, and Cisco are on the list.
“All middle and high schools will offer an MOS class,” according to Stefanowicz. “Our high schools will also offer the second certificate, depending on student demand. Students can also access these free courses at the Florida Virtual School (FVS) if necessary.”
“I’m excited to see the expansion of COMPUTE$,” Rob Smith-Martin, owner of Computer Doctor said. “The jobs are out there and Monroe businesses need more talent.” Besides Smith-Martin, other Advisory Board members are from Tropical Technologies LLC, FloridaKeys.com, Firma IT, and Paradise Mac.
For more information, contact: [email protected]
John Padget and Jacob Dekker deserve the community’s deepest and sincere appreciation for what they are doing to promote computer education, COMPUTE$, in the Monroe County Schools. That they are expanding the program is terrific. Lord knows that the School District has done precious little to date to prepare students for the 21st century. A 20th century education simply does not cut it today.