Stellar and Nease High School Honored as ‘Innovators in Education’ by Jacksonville Business Journal

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (May 14, 2015) - Stellar, a fully integrated firm focused on design, engineering, construction and mechanical services worldwide, and Nease High School have received the Jacksonville Business Journal’s “Innovation in Education” award, recognizing The Stellar Academy of Engineering, an educational partnership between the two organizations.

A four-year engineering program designed by Stellar’s engineers, The Stellar Academy of Engineering was designed to increase the quality, diversity and number of students prepared to pursue engineering careers. The program was one of the first such partnerships created in the state.  

“The program began in fall 2006 with 60 students and has grown by more than 280 percent with 230 students enrolled for the current school year,” said Kyle Dresback, principal at Nease High School. “The success and growth we’ve seen in this program is encouraging and we hope to continue the partnership with Stellar for many years.”  

The Stellar Academy of Engineering provides students with a foundation of skills, knowledge and experience in engineering through coursework, guest lectures and course specific field trips. 

The Academy begins  with the basics: interpreting scales, lettering techniques, sketching, geometric construction, and multi-view drawings. The lessons are hands-on, project-oriented and emphasize critical thinking as well as teamwork. Upon completion of the four-year program, students will have the skills and state-recognized certification to directly enter the workforce at a competitive salary and/or enroll in a post-secondary engineering program.

“With the Academy, students don’t leave the classroom wondering, ‘When will I ever use this in real life?’” said Allison Korman Shelton, Stellar’s Vice President of Government and Public Affairs. “They see it for themselves because they get hands-on experience and direct access to our firm’s engineers, projects and experience.”  

Students graduate from the academy with state-recognized certification to enroll in a post-secondary engineering program. Currently, Stellar and Nease are working with the University of North Florida to enable students to earn up to earn dual enrollment classes in engineering.  

The “Innovation in Education” awards honor local individuals and organizations who have improved education, positively impacting learners of all ages.   

About Stellar

Stellar is a fully integrated design, engineering, construction and mechanical services firm. More than 700 Stellar employees worldwide create award-winning food processing plants; refrigerated warehouses; distribution centers; commercial and public sector. In addition to its Jacksonville, Florida, headquarters and its Western Region office in Modesto, California, Stellar operates nearly 25 support locations and offices throughout the United States and in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and China. To learn more about Stellar, visit stellar.net 

Allen D. Nease High School

The mission of Allen D. Nease High School of Ponte Vedra, Florida, is to provide an excellent, high quality education for a rapidly growing and geographical diverse student population for the northern end of St. Johns County. Our intent is to develop academically capable and socially responsible young adults in a safe, attractive, and stimulating environment, encouraging the highest levels of excellence and professionalism in every area of academic and extra-curricular endeavor. To learn more about Nease, visit nhs.stjohns.k12.fl.us.