In Jacksonville, Florida, students at Loretto Elementary are gaining firsthand experience in the maritime industry through a partnership between the U.S. Navy’s Maritime Industrial Base (MIB) Program and Learning Blade, a STEM career awareness tool for middle school students. According to Duval County Public Schools, the collaboration includes hands-on learning activities designed to connect students with maritime manufacturing concepts.
As part of the program, students visited the USS Orleck Jacksonville Museum, where they participated in a Morse code visual signaling class. The activity aimed to help students see the real-world applications of STEM concepts within the maritime field. Carrie Curtis, Ph.D., from the MIB Program, said that exposing students to STEM in the context of maritime careers is important for early career awareness.
The initiative also incorporated Learning Blade’s Beneath the Waves: Building Submarines mission, which links classroom lessons with maritime and defense industry skills. Jerry Wooden, CEO of eDynamic Learning (Learning Blade’s parent company), said the program helps students develop knowledge relevant to careers in areas such as shipbuilding and engineering.
Kimberly Niebauer, a Gifted program teacher at Loretto Elementary, said her students benefited from the program and its connection to their classroom studies. The museum visit supported their learning and helped students apply concepts in a real-world setting.
This partnership between educators and the maritime industry provides students with early exposure to potential STEM career paths through practical learning experiences.
