St. Augustine and First Coast Technical high school students are
getting the chance to take a high-tech step for their future.
This spring, the schools were two of 30 statewide awarded $340,000
grants from the state education department to take part in the Oracle
Internet Academy, where students learn advanced computer skills that
could lead to a big-paycheck job.
"Most of us see big old
dollar signs in our eyes," said Robert Gaskell, a St. Augustine High
School student who will be taking the class next year.
"Any business wanting a network, you could work for," student John French said.
The computer lab is unlike any traditional classroom, set up like a
floor in a corporate building with offices and cubicles with bookshelves
and cushioned, wheeled chairs.
The California-based Oracle Corp., the second-largest independent software company, provided $10 million for the program.
The money covers the cost of training teachers both online and in
California, teaching and student materials and technical assistance to
the participating schools, according to the education department.
Marcus Garrett, prevocational department chairman and Cisco academy
instructor at St. Augustine, said his school most likely received the
grant because it already teaches Cisco, a computer programming language.
"What I am able to do here is give them a risk-free environment," he said.
Certification courses outside of the high school program could cost more than $12,000 for Oracle or $5,000 for Cisco.
"Here, the kids get them for free. It's an opportunity for them to do something they'd be interested in," he said.
First Coast Technical High School Principal Jay Steele expects about 50 students to take the Oracle class in the fall
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