In a world that tends to be fast, companies are seeking what lasts. Fueled by the need to create a resilient and relevant regional workforce, FSU InSPIRE (Institute for Strategic Partnerships, Innovation, Research, and Education) was conceptualized.

InSPIRE’s mission is to foster high-skilled, high-wage employment opportunities in the region to accelerate technology innovation, cultivate corporate investment, and nurture the growth of new industries. The footprint spans eight counties: Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Bay, Gulf, Franklin, and Wakulla.

In late 2023, a delegation from Florida State University’s Panama City campus, including President Richard McCullough and Vice President for Research Stacey Patterson, presented InSPIRE’s vision and proposal to the Triumph Gulf Coast Inc. Board of Trustees. Triumph Gulf Coast, Inc. is a nonprofit that oversees funds recovered from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

“As a top-tier research university, FSU has the pedigree to be involved in national challenges and help address them,” says Grey Dodge, director of community relations and partnership engagement for FSU InSPIRE. “We sold our vision to Triumph, and we were fortunate to receive the largest grant they’ve ever given out, which speaks to their commitment as a partner.”

InSPIRE’s vision is to be the applied research and innovation neurocenter of the region, providing an environment for secure, end-to-end product and system development while leveraging FSU’s established expertise to form local partnerships that will benefit regional growth.

“We envision an on-the-floor experiential learning environment where students are working side by side with industry, defense, and research experts to drive innovations from the ideation stage into relevant, marketable products,” says Drew Allen, InSPIRE executive director. “At its core, InSPIRE aims to bridge the gap between discovery and the market by shepherding them along the prototyping, testing, and evaluation phases under one roof to deliver timely solutions that best serve our customers, the affected counties, and our nation as a whole.”

InSPIRE aims to open a temporary facility in Panama City in early 2026 and have shovels in the ground for the main facility for manufacturing and testing in the summer of 2026. While a permanent home is in the works, InSPIRE is integrating into businesses and getting to work on their mission by partnering with local companies such as Maritech Machine.

Based in Panama City, Maritech Machine is a family owned and operated business that has provided CNC machining, fabrication, assembly, and engineering support to the defense, aerospace, and industrial sectors since 1991.

“FSU’s InSPIRE program recognized that small, agile manufacturers like Maritech could provide the hands-on production environment and industry experience needed to help bridge the gap between academic research and deployable manufacturing capability,” explains Corbin McCall, vice president of operations for Maritech.

Initial conversations led to pilot projects, facility visits, and eventually a partnership where FSU InSPIRE brought in over $3 million worth of modernized equipment to work alongside the shop’s traditional machinery.

“Maritech provides real-world context, equipment, and production support, while FSU provides research expertise, additive capabilities, and training pathways,” McCall says. “It’s a model that’s proving to be mutually beneficial. Beyond the technical gains, it’s strengthened our role as a regional manufacturing leader and positioned Maritech as a trusted partner in building Florida’s defense and innovation ecosystem.” 

InSPIRE seeks to replicate this model of a symbiotic relationship with other companies throughout the Panhandle.

“A manufacturing war is going on in the world, and America is falling behind,” Dodge says. “We desire to partner with young, hungry, innovative local partners who are willing to learn, grow, and address our national challenges.”

While still in its early days, InSPIRE has plans in the works to conduct partnerships with other local companies and universities alongside research labs and the region’s vast military presence.

“We are helping train the workforce,” Allen says. “We partner with the local military installations and communities. We’re building trust with partners and starting to address the current manufacturing challenges, so we can rapidly design and deploy and go where industry needs us to go to lead the world in next-generation capabilities.”

One of the most effective ways InSPIRE is making an impact is by educating and certifying regional K-12 teachers to help build local STEM expertise. Led by a partnership with FSU’s Learning Systems Institute, InSPIRE is fostering a community of educational experts who can help their students compete and rapidly respond to industry trends.

In the summer of 2024, nearly 200 educators from all eight Northwest Florida counties attended professional learning courses over a four-week span. Course topics included robotics, AI in engineering, computational thinking, 3D printing fundamentals, and more.

“As I have traveled across the region speaking at our teacher training events, I have been impressed by the excitement and commitment from our teachers,” Allen says. “Many educators have been wildly receptive to evolving their skills and curriculum to align with tomorrow’s workforce demands.”

For current FSU students, InSPIRE provides applied research facilities, internships, and funds to grow the number of engineering graduates in Panama City. The program intends to make collaborations between students, educators, industry, and community leaders the expected status quo.

Once the Panama City facility opens, it will support the development of an entire product lifecycle under one roof. This in-house deployment will encompass technological advancements in next-generation machining, additive manufacturing, artificial intelligence design, robotics, simulation, and prototyping as well as complete testing and evaluation.

“What areas are missing, and what holes can we fill to solve national challenges?” Dodge asks. “That’s how we demonstrate our value to produce innovations at scale, improve the national supply chain, and build strategic growth in our local communities.”

Dodge notes that the access to land, close proximity to other large, factory-centric cities, heavy military presence, influence of top universities, job availability, and quality of life all add to the appeal of the Panhandle. “Northwest Florida is falling in line with a broader effort from the state to become a top spot for manufacturing.” 

The genesis of InSPIRE all stems from forward thinking, especially pertaining to keeping students local by presenting an attractive and reliable workforce.

“Students from the affected counties are our most important target audience,” Dodge says. “In the coming years, they will be the skilled talent and modern workforce that will ignite growth in the region. The InSPIRE infrastructure will rapidly and easily adapt to meet industry and defense requirements that are even yet unknown. We aspire to create multiple, seamless career pathways to high-technology, high-wage careers within a thriving ecosystem that is translating science into solutions.” ▪

After 28 years in the classroom, it would be safe to say that teaching has helped put a roof over Jacqueline Sheffield’s head—not just metaphorically.

Earlier this year, the 51-year-old math teacher at Fort Walton Beach High School was named a recipient of the prestigious Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST).

The award, established in 1983, is the pinnacle of recognition that a K-12 teacher can receive from the U.S. Government. Before leaving office, President Biden announced 336 recipients. If the prestige and accolades weren’t enough, the award also comes with a check for $10,000.

What did Sheffield do with the money?

“I bought a new roof,” she says, laughing. “And I’m tickled pink about it.”

Mathematics and teaching have been constants in Sheffield’s life. This fall will be her twenty-ninth year in the classroom. Sheffield attended FWBHS (Fort Walton Beach High School) and went on to the University of Florida. After graduating, she returned to the Okaloosa County School District, where she started teaching math to middle school students. After four years there, she secured a position at FWBHS, where she has taught every level of math available at the school. Currently, she teaches Algebra 2 Honors and Advanced Placement Statistics, working with students she calls her “highflyers.”

Looking back, Sheffield always knew she wanted to be a teacher. As the youngest in her family with five older brothers, she remembers trips to the grocery when she was young. Sheffield says, “My brothers would go to the cereal aisle and look for the best toy in the cereal boxes while I would always go to the school supply aisle.”

She was always pretty good with math, winning math wars competitions in elementary school, but she credits having older brothers as being behind the push that made her even better.

“They made me a little scrappy, which is good for being a high school teacher,” Sheffield says, explaining that with five brothers and two sons of her own, she can easily handle the demands of her classroom.

Sheffield credits her brothers, Tim and Joe, both older, who would help her with homework, while bonding over David Letterman on “The Late Show.” Joe tutored her in Algebra I, where she went from struggling to becoming the “most improved” in her class. Their positive influence nurtured a love for education.

Learning from her brothers helped her understand different modalities of pedagogy and that sometimes students “need to see it in a different way.” Thanks to these experiences, Sheffield can help her own students in need of her versatile teaching methods in the classroom.

Over the 28 years as a teacher, Sheffield says she is always evolving, or in her words, “I reflect more. I analyze every test. I am kind of in that cycle of teaching, assessing, reflecting, and then going back and doing it again.”

Working with her “highflyers” also challenges Sheffield as a teacher. “I will tell you, when you are working with these really bright kids, you better be on your A game.” She recalls when she first started teaching statistics, she had a student named Esther who ended up as the class valedictorian. She would have to spend extra hours doing a deep dive into what she was teaching just to be ready for class.

“I had to be prepared,” she says. “I always knew Esther was going to ask me the why.”

With new technological tools capable of answering most questions, getting students to appreciate the need to learn critical thinking has become challenging, but these are the skills that set students apart in industry. Students who can incorporate generative AI with other durable skills will have advantages regardless of the field they enter after graduation.

“Math doesn’t just teach two plus two is four. Math is about critical thinking and problem-solving skills,” Sheffield says and that students need, “… to be able to break down complex problems and come up with solutions. They have to be able to take a challenge, break it down into pieces, solve the parts, and put those parts back together for a solution.”

A crucial skill for students is the ability to assess the veracity of information found from a generative AI tool. Sheffield believes that sourcing the information is important, and she wants to be able to verify search results.

Administrators at her school are quick to compliment Sheffield and her work ethic. Her principal, Lindsey Smith, says the award is a testament to the high standards she sets in her classroom and the meaningful impact she has on her students’ lives.

“We are so proud of her and grateful for the dedication she brings to our school every day,” Smith says.

Okaloosa County Schools Superintendent Marcus Chambers calls Sheffield “truly inspiring.” He says the award reflects her unwavering dedication to academic excellence and her ability to inspire a love of learning in her students.

Besides the recognition from the award and the stipend, winners are typically invited to the White House to be recognized, which Sheffield is looking forward to.

“I love my job,” Sheffield says. “I love my students, I love where I work, and I love who I work with. I’m very lucky that this is my job that I get up and go to every day.”

Sheffield feels she has at least eight more years left in her as a classroom teacher before retiring.

With a new 20-year roof over her head, Sheffield has a constant reminder that her work has value, or in her words, “It’s a roof that math built.”

The rapid change of technological innovations has made the job market more competitive, creating an edge for students who pursue extracurriculars related to the field they will eventually follow. There seems to be little connection between a verdant Florida field of cattle, a workshop buzzing and beeping with robots, and the gently lapping waves of the Gulf; however, these are all examples of classrooms, classmates, and teachers spanning the nontraditional learning spectrum.

From homeschooling to immersive after-school activities and clubs, learning outside of the classroom has become crucial for students seeking an advantage in the current job market. In 2020, with the presence of the pandemic, the future of education was questioned, challenged, and immensely reshaped.

Parents, teachers, and students began to see the merits and pitfalls of classroom learning, as well as digital learning. Many parents sought education outside of the classroom entirely, opting for  environments that connected kids to their interests and their communities.

TallyRobotics

In 2013, Laura Leonard struggled to find a group for her son, who had taken an interest in robotics. When searching online, she came across a national organization, FIRST Robotics (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), realizing her family could start their own FIRST Lego League in Tallahassee.

What began as a few other homeschool students meeting in the Leonard’s dining room quickly transcended to multiple teams competing in state FIRST Robotics competitions. For years, TallyRobotics partnered with TSC (Tallahassee State College), which provided a space for the children to meet and workshop their robotics projects.

This fall, TallyRobotics will move into its very own space in Midtown, complete with a large workshop full of tools and a practice area. In seeking a space to nurture their son’s love for STEM, the Leonards have been able to reach and foster that same love of robotics for many other children.

“Students learn in a variety of ways,” Leonard says, “and not every student is going to learn and excel in a traditional school environment. After-school programs or community organizations give them the opportunity to do something they have an interest in that there may not be time for in school.”

For students in 4th through 12th grades, Tally Robotics presents opportunities to engage with STEM and programs to prepare them to compete in FIRST competitions. Whether traditionally schooled or homeschooled, these students are mentored in science, engineering, and technology skills while also promoting communication, confidence, critical thinking, teamwork, and leadership skills.

Where the teams work together to design, code, and build robots, they must also conduct research, write a report, and share their findings during the competition.

“As an educator and parent, I love that it’s the whole package deal including almost every school subject,” Leonard says. “At a young age, they start asking important questions that will lead them into adulthood,  such as: Why do I want it to do that, how do I get it to do that, and how can I make it even better?”

The impact is evident in that all graduating seniors in recent years of the program have chosen to attend college to pursue careers in STEM fields.

Pensacola MESS Hall

With a Ph.D. in Neurobiology from Harvard, Dr. Megan Pratt certainly knows the importance of a classroom. She also knows that the majority of our lives will be spent outside of the classroom.

“I started Pensacola MESS Hall because I believe at every age, there’s a need for continual learning even in informal settings,” Pratt says. “There needs to be more public places where questions can be answered, interests can be followed, and ideas can be challenged.”

Pratt opened Pensacola MESS Hall in 2012 as a place where kids and adults can explore math, engineering, science, and stuff (MESS). The exhibits are open seven days a week for the public to explore. Mess kits are also available to conduct experiments or for personal creations.

Throughout the year, the MESS Hall hosts field trips, welcomes homeschoolers, and offers special programming geared toward adults. During the summer and school breaks, science-themed day camps are offered.

As a result of funding from the National Academy of Sciences and other grants, MESS Hall is able to provide community outreach programs.

For the 2025 school year, students at 20 elementary schools will enjoy hands-on activities that highlight the life of the Gulf and the community’s impact on it. Through this School to Shore program, students explore the properties of water, consider how communities can respond to extreme precipitation events, and create an intervention for improving the environment at their school.

Whether it’s ecotourism, space adventures, or enjoying puzzles, the MESS Hall aims to inspire curiosity and spark experimentation.

“A lot of what is taught in a traditional classroom are the ABC’s and 123’s, which are important, but with that, we are often just retaining that knowledge to take a test and get the right answer,” Pratt says. “What’s more interesting and often most valuable, especially with science, is the creative process and exploration.”

Wagyumama Schoolhouse

Much like Leonard, Laine D’Souza Baker and her husband, Bryan, were seeking to enhance their son’s education with more hands-on learning.

Raised on a farm and working ranch, their son Kai thrived in that environment—building fences, working with cattle, changing tractor tires. He was not a child who learned well contained behind a desk.

The Bakers began the homeschooling journey to balance the necessary curriculum with plenty of time spent in the great outdoors. To build connections with other homeschooled students, the Bakers opened their property to what they called “Ranch Days,” where children could engage in hands-on activities to learn about life on a ranch.

“We wanted more for our son,” Baker says, “and apparently other people wanted that for their kids too, as over 50 people would show up sometimes, driving as far as Pensacola to Laurel Hill because there’s nothing like this anywhere closer. And they loved it.” 

The Ranch Days became so popular, the Bakers decided to expand, opening the Wagyumama Schoolhouses in Laurel Hill and Freeport.

The school follows the classical, Montessori education model focusing on foundational academics such as English language arts, reading, writing, math, history, and science but with hands-on exploration such as gardening, ranching, building, home economics, and more. Additionally, electives such as music, art, cooking, and Spanish can be added.

Families can select from a flexible, hybrid schedule of two, four, or five days a week or for teenagers, a dual enrollment program. For those homeschooled or where traditional schooling allows, students can attend Ranch Days or enroll in electives only.

“The kids here are brilliant in so many ways,” Baker says. “Often, they just needed a change of environment or pace—to get away from busy work and worksheets and instead learn from nature, animals, community, and each other.” ▪

It was Gandhi who said, “Live as if you were to die tomorrow; learn as if you were to live forever,” which is the philosophy of living a meaningful life of continuous learning. Today, people proudly brandish this quote on coffee mugs, T-shirts, and other memorabilia.

Business owners take the philosophy to heart, staking their livelihoods on finding communities of like-minded people who pursue learning as a lifestyle. The success or failure of a venture dependent upon selling adult-learning as a product depends on many variables.

Trends in entertainment and on social media are important factors in testing the viability of selling a hobby. Awareness and advertising also play a crucial role, but perhaps one of the leading factors is market fit.

For example, the dulcimer is an instrument from the medieval age that is not a typical conversation starter in modern times, so selling classes on learning to play one would be a difficult market.

Still, centering business strategies around adult learners, even in niche markets, can be lucrative. Many titans of industry exist on platforms designed to capitalize on upskilling adults in the workforce. Coursera, Udemy, and LinkedIn offer courses and certifications to users on their platforms, tapping into the market of forever learners; however, education goes beyond certifications in technical skills.

There is a growing demand from high performers seeking self-actualization. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs asserts that when basic needs are met, people with the time and freedom will seek fulfillment through transformation. After finding meaning through mastery of a skill, the next level is to share this purpose with others.

“To teach is to learn twice,” is a quote attributed to Joseph Joubert, a leading French writer, known largely for his aphoristic style.

The entrepreneurially minded take this lesson and merge their passions with profits, opening a market to these forever learners.

Martial Arts

According to Gymdesk, the average martial arts school earns roughly $115,000 per year, but the most successful schools can earn much higher depending on location, success of the lead instructor in the ring, and population density. Elite MMA schools, pioneered by professional fighters, can earn significantly higher than those without endorsements or certifications of established arenas.

Gracie University, which offers licensing and instruction to other trainers, generates $3.5 million per year. The Gracie family is largely responsible for pioneering BJJ (Brazilian Jiu Jitsu) in the U.S. with the founding of the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship).

For Dylan Whyte, owner of Positive Balance BJJ in Tallahassee, the focus of his school is to build a community rather than seek higher profits. Whyte does not force contracts on his members. There’s a standard sports waiver to try a class, but Whyte does not bill new students until they’ve been there for a few weeks. 

Though Whyte admits that he has to keep the lights on, he makes a comfortable living without squeezing every possible dime out of his students. He offers equipment but will happily show anyone how to find gear and uniform cheaper online. Whyte even encourages his students to branch out to train with other martial artists, such as Train Fight Win, to learn striking techniques not taught at Positive Balance BJJ.

“I want to make this a community. People think ‘jiu jitsu’ … they must be enemies,” Whyte says, but that’s not the case. “Not a lot of people enjoy this type of hobby, right? So, we should probably all be cool, and it benefits the whole.”

Training is not just about fighting and self-defense.

“There’s a balance to it. [BJJ] helps people and improves their quality of life,” according to Whyte. “Whether it’s the jiu jitsu aspect or maybe their job might suck, you know? And they just want to be around good people.”

Meta-analysis of scientific studies shows a positive effect from training on reducing anxiety and depression, as well as increasing self-esteem and confidence, especially among women. Additionally, training in martial arts can improve balance, musculoskeletal health, cardiovascular fitness, and cognition, regardless of age or gender.

Positive Balance BJJ has recently expanded to a larger space to accommodate the growing school. When asked about how he built his success, Whyte says, “Honestly, it is mostly patience and listening,” adding that he gets to know every student, meeting their needs as individuals.

“I train a 5-year-old differently than I do a 40-year-old mom, who’s working on confidence, going through a divorce,” Whyte says, explaining that he tries to cater to each student’s needs: “Just care about them, and it works out.”

Despite the type of offerings, cooking, artistry, or martial arts, successful business owners always listen to the needs of their communities. Though the approach may look different in an MMA (mixed martial arts) gym than it does in a cooking class, owners willing to adapt to the needs of their customers are far more likely to succeed.

Lifelong High Performer

Whyte, who also played soccer at a high level, signed on to play for Southern Polytechnic State University after high school. While living in Atlanta, Georgia, he began training in BJJ with Rubens Charles Maciel—known as Cobrinha, meaning “little snake,” who is regarded as one of the most accomplished BJJ athletes of all time. Cobrinha was the first to complete the Super Grand Slam, winning all major World BJJ championships in 2017.

Training with Cobrinha was a pivotal time in Whyte’s life, leading him to win bronze in the middleweight division as a blue belt at the World IBJJF No-Gi (International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation) Championship in 2013. This success altered Whyte’s trajectory. He left college and moved to Orlando to train with another great, Bruno Malfacine, who is a 10-time IBJJF Black Belt World Champion and inductee into the IBJJF Hall of Fame.

Kitchen

Cooking classes will produce a revenue stream of approximately $98.9 billion this year, according to peekPRO, with the majority of those in attendance among young adults, aged 18-30. Demand has increased in recent years, likely influenced by COVID-19, when many people opted for home cooking rather than eating out. FinModelsLab claims a successful cooking school can generate an annual revenue of $200,000 to $1 million, with variations due to location, competition, and reputation.

Browns Kitchen is a retail cookware store that offers cooking essentials to aspiring chefs. The store originally supplied commercial equipment as well but now exclusively serves the home market. Brentley Dumas reluctantly took over the store after her parents purchased the space in 2006.

“At first,” says Dumas, “I wasn’t sure what I’d do with a kitchen store.”

An interior designer by training and strategist by nature, Dumas does not consider herself much of a chef. Though she cooks out of necessity, Dumas admits, “I would say my husband does most of the cooking.”

Dumas is passionate about the business side of her store and finds satisfaction “… creating a space for others to enjoy their passion for cooking. I love seeing the joy on people’s faces when they walk into the store for the first time or join their very first cooking class. Even better is watching those same faces return again and again.”

A self-described “workaholic,” Dumas explains, “I’m always looking for ways to improve both the store and the overall customer experience.” Even on vacation, she assesses and analyzes new trends in cooking to anticipate the demands.

Dumas believes constant evaluation is necessary in today’s market. To compete with the big-box retailers, “We focus on quality, personalized service, and the connection with our customers,” Dumas says. “Plus, we offer classes to help customers make the most of what they buy.”

The hands-on classes are a great way to connect with the community and keep customers engaged with the store. More so, the high-quality instruction with premium tools attracts repeat students. Dumas dedicates a large kitchen for their classes, providing the best possible tools to learn new skills from a wide variety of chefs in the community.

Many of their classes are taught by successful chefs who own restaurants or offer catering services around Tallahassee. They have doubled their class offerings this year and hope to continue building their community.

“To me,” Dumas says with a smile, “the customer experience is everything.”

Generative AI appeared like a slow-moving tsunami, just a ripple on the horizon that concerned citizens watched with great interest.

GPT-1 (Generative Pre-trained Transformer 1) was released in 2018 and was largely limited in scope, accuracy, and comprehensibility. Those keeping an eye on those waters were not overly concerned until the next year when GPT-2 was released, demonstrating more comprehensible output. With each subsequent iteration, the generated text became less robotic, more human, until 2022; the average reader could not distinguish ChatGPT output from human writing.

And the metaphorical tsunami finally crashed into the masses with all the force of the ocean.

Those who did not see the wave coming were hit hard, but those who have been watching at a safe distance were better prepared for what came next. The LLM (large language models) have continued to improve, changing the landscape of technological jobs forever.

As the initial shockwave created by generative AI ebbs, many colleges and universities started assessing how the shift in technology will necessitate a change to current pedagogy. The use of generative AI is quickly becoming a durable skill, and higher education will need to work hard to equip their graduating classes with the tools necessary to succeed as the demands of industry evolve.

New roles are being created that did not exist when students entered college just a couple of years ago, and some jobs are vanishing altogether. Every industry involving computer science, communications, and technology is reevaluating the efficiency of the roles within their companies. To remain relevant, faculty and staff at universities must evaluate their course content and encourage faculty to utilize generative AI in their curriculum development.

Florida State University

Launched in January 2018, the Innovation Hub at FSU is a multidisciplinary innovation workspace with a $2.5 million investment by the Provost’s Office, led by Sally McRorie at the time. The center provides an environment to facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration and is open to all students, faculty, and staff.

Spanning approximately 14,000 square feet, there is a Digital Fablab equipped with 3D printers, laser and vinyl cutters, and electronics workstations, allowing space for faculty and students to train in robotics and drone technology. Additionally, the Rubini New Media Design Lab, which opened in May 2023, houses 14 high-end computer systems licenses with immersive media tools for UX design and coding.

The hub was launched at the same time generative AI tools were emerging, but the leadership team at FSU had been watching this space for even longer.

“I should stress that universities have been dealing with AI since the 1970s,” explains Dr. Paul Marty, associate vice provost for academic innovation from the School of Information. “It’s like the transition from the internet to the World Wide Web.”

After the web became available in the early ’90s, rather than adopting this new tool, academic institutions opted to use Gopher—an early IP tool utilizing hierarchical organizational menus of text-based content. Many of the arguments against the web at the time centered around a dilution of quality in information, viewing the ease of online publishing as a risk of losing scholarly integrity.

The same resistances exist on college and university campuses across the globe, many instituting tight controls and outright bans on the use of generative AI, naming ChatGPT, specifically. That is not the case at FSU.

“I had been watching this come down the pipeline for two years,” Marty says, discussing how he had been eager to try ChatGPT himself, “and I wasn’t alone in that. Lots of faculty all across this campus and other campuses knew this technology was coming.”

According to Ken Baldauf, founding director of the Innovation Hub, FSU became an early adopter of generative AI, embracing the innovative technology. “We decided that the best place to start is with faculty,” Baldauf says, adding that, “They need to know how to respond in a productive manner, so we started workshops here in the Innovation Hub.

“Within 15 minutes, all 60 seats were taken,” Baldauf recalls. “And then we had people complaining to the provost that we didn’t accommodate all the faculty.”

For their first introduction to ChatGPT, Marty explains, “I only have one rule. We weren’t going to talk about cheating.”

Instead, they took a proactive approach to training faculty on the ethical and proper use of the tools, not just to pass on to their students, but also to help teachers save time.

“We took all of our syllabus information, all of our assignments, all of our readings, etc.,” Marty says, “fed them into Copilot Studio and created a custom GPT using Copilot that could live right in a campus site. So that’s worked great.”

FSU is the first campus in the country to have embedded these agents into Canvas as a tool for students to answer basic questions about the design of the course.

“The way we teach has to keep evolving,” Marty says, explaining how they encourage faculty to show their students best practices in the use of generative AI as a free tutor and building their assignments with the assumption that the students are already using these tools.

Baldauf agrees, adding, “The value now becomes in asking questions.”

Generative AI tools are like having a personal research assistant always available, and the accuracy and quality will continue to improve. And the big question, according to Marty is, “So, after everything is automated, what’s going to be left for humans?”

Marty and Baldauf agree that insight, critical thinking, and creativity are far greater assets in today’s job market, and the new, most sought-after durable skill in industry will be emotional intelligence, being able to work with people, and the aspects of interdisciplinary collaboration, which is the entire reason the Innovation Lab exists.

University of West Florida

With over 13,000 students annually and greater than 70 undergraduate and graduate programs, UWF is the largest college in the Western Panhandle. As a whole, UWF is embracing the new changes in technology.

Dr. Kevin M. Scott, chair and professor of the Department of English in the College of Arts, Social Sciences, and Humanities, has been an early pioneer of incorporating AI into the curriculum at his institution, but some of his faculty were not on board right away.

“I was doing a ton of research on how generative AI was entering into the workforce, reading all of these articles and listening to the people who were actually making it happen in the real world, and I realized that we had been doing our students a disservice,” Scott says, recalling when ChatGPT first hit the market. His faculty “were pretty just dead set against it, and you know, I don’t blame them for that. Their experience had been pretty much entirely one kind of experience.”

Cheating.

Generative AI has increased the scope and volume of students willing to “life hack” for a quick fix to a high-stakes midterm papers worth a huge percentage of their final grades; however, cheating has been a pervasive disease in classrooms as far back as any teacher can remember.

The rapid adoption of generative AI among college students led to panic in those teachers caught unaware. Their fears birthed an industry dedicated to detecting AI-generated frauds and forgeries. Originality.AI, GPTZero, and Copyleaks all have subscription fees for their services with promises to detect the use of generative AI in documents. With an estimated revenue of $2.3 million for Originality.AI in 2025 and as much as $14 million and $16 million for Copyleaks and GPTZero, respectively, it is safe to conclude that cheating—at least in this instance—pays.

These tools have been created specifically to solve the problem of ethical misuse of generative AI. But there is a better way.   

“Fortunately,” Scott says, “I have very serious, expansively minded faculty.”

Though ethical use is a very important topic, and conversations about plagiarism and morality should always be included in conversations around intellectual property, Scott and his faculty understand that, “AI is going to transform sections—big sections of the economy.”

Scott repurposed a committee to assess utilization of the new technology, posing one important question: “If students graduate from our program and don’t have a sense of how to make use of generative AI, both practically and ethically, have we served them well?”

The answer was to use a proactive approach to curriculum development. The sentiment, echoed from the FSU Innovation Hub, is to assume that students are already using these tools and that banning them will only hurt students.

“Unethical use of AI is foundationally destructive to the person who uses it,” Scott explains, invoking the notion of Cognitive Debt (see sidebar). “And if you are using AI to circumvent work, then you literally are firing your brain less.

“And that’s precisely why I think it’s important for us to find nonjudgemental ways to incorporate [generative AI] into classes such that students can be asked to be captain of the ship,” Scott elaborates on the importance of handing responsibility for critical thinking, research, and fact-checking over to his students. “Because if they build that in as a foundational skill, they will be focusing precisely on those skills which they’re going to be asked to use in the professional world.”

Though some career fields in mathematics and other sciences may be less impacted, Scott acknowledges that his department and his students will be directly affected by the change in technology, which is why so many of his faculty have been so willing to embrace AI.

“They want what’s best for the students,” Scott says, explaining that academes can be resistant to change but that also, “They’re part of the world and recognize that AI is going to be seismic.”

Gulf Coast State College

GCSC is already well-established as an industry partner, connecting with business leaders along the coast to actively seek and fill skills gaps in industry. Local employers (see sidebar) are participating in lab-based training and cooperative education designed to prepare students for technical careers in related fields.

In addition to traditional studies, students can choose from 24 distinct AS degree pathways designed for direct career entry and can earn several specific AS post-secondary vocational certificates. Health sciences provide pathways to nursing, diagnostic medical sonography, and related medical professions. In technology and engineering, students can specialize in cybersecurity, drone technologies, computer systems, etc. There are also industry-specific vocational tracks, such as accounting, business administration, criminal justice, and the culinary arts.

Being a student-focused institution, when Glen McDonald, president of GCSC, saw AI coming, he understood right away his college would need to adapt. Together with Dr. Holly Kuehner, vice president of academic affairs, they worked with faculty to devise a strategy to address the issue.

In the summer of 2025, they offered training to their faculty, provided by the University of Florida (UF), to give an introduction to AI,
to which there was a good turnout from faculty.

Some educators have been resistant to learning the new technology with many of those more focused on the capacity for unethical use; however, many want to understand AI’s potential in the classroom.

“We’re trying to embrace AI because we know it’s in use, and we want our students to use it, both positively and appropriately,” says
Dr. Jennifer Barber, the respiratory care coordinator at GCSC. Kuehner adds that they are working closely with faculty on implementation.

“We’re talking about it in the classroom,” Kuehner says, “helping students understand good ways to use it,” McDonald adds, “especially in English and writing.”

Similar to the messages from FSU and UWF, faculty at GCSC are making a transition in how they frame assignments to include ethical use of AI for their students.

“If you want to use it for your classwork, use it as a study guide,” McDonald says, discussing how students can benefit from AI in assignments. “Learn what it is, and then write the whole thing in your own words.”

To help students learn proper use of the tools, GCSC contracted David Hatami, EdD to implement a module in AI ethics. Hatami is the founder and managing director of EduPolicy.AI, an educational consultancy specializing in AI policy, ethics, and implementation, who provides training opportunities to make the transition easier.

The overall strategy from GCSC to integrate AI tools into the current curriculum will keep their students engaged and learning the durable skills necessary to succeed in the workforce.

Specifically for McDonald, he wants graduating students to be immediately employable to GCSC’s industry partners, not just today but for the jobs of tomorrow.

 Tallahassee State College

While most colleges implementing AI into their curricula do so across all departments, few are offering an undergraduate degree for an AI-focused program. However, in the fall of 2024, TSC officially launched a two-year associate in science degree in Applied Artificial Intelligence, as part of a suite of workforce-focused programs.

“We are actively engaged in conversations with local industry leaders about the evolving role of AI in the workplace and the tools students need to stay competitive,” says Dr. Calandra Stringer, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs. “As part of this effort, we partnered with the Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce to host several community-wide events focused on AI awareness and workforce readiness.”

The goal is to connect business leaders, educators, and the community to strategize best practices for leveraging tools across industries. “The reality is that these tools are impacting all disciplines,” Stringer says. “We recognize our responsibility to help students become digitally responsible citizens,” which includes awareness among faculty and staff on ethical use. 

“The college will be working with faculty this semester to design and implement an AI literacy framework to help students learn about generative AI and learn to use it ethically.”

TSC has also taken advantage of the training offered by UF, with several faculty members participating in the specialized training through their AI Learning program.

“Technology is both a tool and a skill,” Stringer explains, “and we know the importance of staying current. Our approach focuses on reinforcing the uniquely human skills, such as critical thinking, creativity, and thoughtful analysis, that remain essential regardless of how technology advances.” A similar methodology is echoed by the other educators throughout Northwest Florida.

However, TSC takes this message a step further by creating a partnership with the Innovation Academy, Florida’s first AI-integrated middle school, where ethical training in AI and technology is embedded through the STEM-focused curriculum. The model uses AI as a teaching assistant, helping educators personalize lessons for individualized instruction.

The charter school serves grades six through eight and is located on the TSC campus inside the University Partners building. Together with their AS degree in AI and college credit certifications, TSC promises to become a leader in AI-driven education.

“These offerings,” Stringer says, “reflect our commitment to staying at the forefront of workforce innovation and preparing students for high-demand careers.”

Industry demands a skilled workforce

“Soft skills” began as a military term, officially defined by the U.S. Army in 1972, to indicate necessary non-technical skills that mostly included communication and decision-making capabilities transferrable across jobs and industries. The term was adopted by education and industry, evolving to include many social and life skills required for management, sales, and customer service.

By the 2000s, globalization and technical expertise became far more important to daily careers. Companies and education rebranded soft skills as durable skills, covering all essential transferable skills, all of which are considered crucial to success in an ever-changing world.

GCSC Industry Partners

→ Engineering Tech: Introductory maintenance technicians with industry partners such as Naval Surface Warfare Center-Manufacturing lab, Maritech, Trane, Oceaneering, Berg Pipe, E.F. San Juan, Eastern Shipbuilding, Rockwell Automation, Haas Automation, Merrick Industries, Central Moloney, and local utility departments 

→ Computer Science: Cybersecurity/Networking/ Software and Database Developer-SAIC and other government contractors, Neeves Media web developer

→ Unmanned Vehicles: State and local law enforcement agencies, various government contractors, Customs and Border Patrol, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Military-sponsored Air Show Support, and public works departments

→ Digital Media:  Kerrigan Marketing Associates, WJHG-TV, WMBB-TV

Leading AI in FL

Led by Nico Rose, assistant provost and senior director of operations for Teaching and Technology, UF offers a three-day intensive training program for teaching faculty interested in curriculum development utilizing AI tools. The program teaches AI fundamentals, AI ethics, and AI applications in teaching and research.

UF also provides additional workshops and certificate offerings on getting started with AI, harnessing AI tools in the workplace, prompt engineering,
AI image generators, and modules on Microsoft Copilot.

They also offer similar versions for industry/external non-education organizations. The request form is:
pwd.aa.ufl.edu/ai/ai-contract

Raised during the age of the internet, millennials had a leg up on older generations in mastering all that the world wide web brought to the table. But generations Z and A are coming up during a new apex of technology where systems have evolved, and generative AI is now at everyone’s fingertips.

Comprehensive training will be essential for young learners to productively wield these new tools as they enter the workforce. School systems prioritizing new-tech initiatives will put students at a next-generation advantage.

“This year, we have to have a heavy focus on how to teach the students how to ethically use [generative] AI, how to use it as a thinking partner and a refinement tool,” says Tom Miller, executive director of The Seaside Schools, including Seacoast Collegiate High School.

Miller says Seacoast teachers will be pioneering instruction of generative AI systems at the South Walton charter school.

“Not everyone is all for this,” Miller says, “but it’s important that our kids learn how to use this so they can stay ahead of the game and not just use it as a glorified Google.”

Seacoast Collegiate High School seniors graduate with a diploma, an associate degree, and industry certifications. The school emphasizes an education based in workforce readiness and entrepreneurship.

“They’re going to be way more equipped than the traditional high school graduate when they leave us,” Miller says, explaining that the goal is “to expose our students and equip them for any path they choose.”

Seacoast is small but mighty. The ninth through twelfth grade charter school opened in 2013 with only nine classrooms and maintains a 10:1 educator to student ratio.

“We’re already out of space,” Miller says, “but when we have the Accelerator Building, that will be a big opportunity for us.”

Located directly off Highway 331, Seacoast shares a campus with Northwest Florida State College’s South Walton Center. Luckily, the campus left room for expansion.

In October 2023, Seacoast announced that $9 million in state funding and a $1 million contribution from the Glavine family would support efforts to expand. A three-phase project, named The Dream Big Project, will bring about three new buildings upon its completion. Two of those are open and functioning as of the start of the 2025-26 school year. A third Accelerator Building will serve as a workforce incubation center where training, mentoring, and collaboration can take place among students, community, and business leaders. Prior to additions, junior and senior students working on their collegiate courses had to commute to the Niceville NWFSC campus. The project’s new NWFSC Dual Enrollment Center will allow nearly 200 Seacoast junior and senior students to attend college courses on-site at the South Walton campus. The center will also be open to other area high school students and adult learners.

“In order for the Accelerator to work, we have to have all of the students on the actual campus,” Miller says. “The main purpose of the project was to eliminate the drive for South Walton high school students.”

The other new building will be designated for Seacoast freshmen and sophomores.

In the 2024-2025 school year, Seacoast educated around 300 students. That number will double with the new additions, opening capacity up to 600-700 students.

Opportunities will be further enhanced with the opening of the Accelerator Building. The building’s conference room alone will hold up to 200 seats. Miller says this will allow Seacoast to host more frequent keynote speakers and mentorship programs.

“The Accelerator Building will be a community building, which will be an ecosystem and a co-op for innovation and entrepreneurship,” Miller says. “It will have a workforce center; it will have a conference center; it will have a meetup space.”

Seacoast expects to break ground on the Accelerator Building by winter 2025. The project is approved for another $750,000 from the General Assembly state budget. In May 2025, The Seaside Schools announced $9.5 million in funding awarded through the Triumph Gulf Coast grant to expand career and technical education programming. The funding will help bring the Dream Big Project to completion.

This year, education expansions include new certification-awarding courses in AI, IT fundamentals, cyber security, and QuickBooks.

“They’ll be able to take those to wherever they go, if they go straight into the workforce, or if they go to college, it really sets them apart,” says Seacoast principal Drew Ward, “because these are certifications that industries will look for in hiring somebody.”

AI training will go beyond simply introducing students to the use of generative AI, such as ChatGPT.

“It actually goes into the coding aspect,” Ward explains, “so they’ll build their own GPTs. They’ll data mine their own data and come up with their own, like a Chat GPT.”

The school has also recently expanded its electives and extracurricular activities, including sports, arts, and theater. Seacoast students can also participate in teams and clubs at neighboring Walton County schools.

“We’ve brought in some significant experts in the field of STEM education, college and career advising, and AI,” Miller says. “We’re still recruiting cyber security, business leadership, and arts as well. We’ve already hired nine new staff this year, we hired four last year, and we’ll have another three or four next year.”

New staff members will assist in fostering mentorship and innovation initiatives with entrepreneurship programs, help to manage grant funding, and enhance STEM programs and AI training.

“Robotics clubs, engineering clubs, those will all be beefed up,” Ward says. “We do some of the underwater drones right now, and we have the Drones in Schools project, but we’re really going to beef those up this next year now that we have space and the experts in those fields that we’ve just hired.”

Dreaming big, Miller says, “There are no limits to our kids’ opportunities.”