Dive Brief:
- The Port of Long Beach in California has awarded more than $54,000 in scholarships to college and high school students from the local community who are interested in pursuing careers in international trade and the goods movement industry, according to a press release from the port.
- At an event last week, officials also announced recipients of the port’s summer high school internships, an eight-week program in which students receive guidance from port staff mentors and gain real-world experience.
- The latest rewards bring the total amount to more than $775,000 since 1993 and the number of recipients to 464 students. The students represent California State University, Long Beach (CSULB), Long Beach City College and local high schools.
Dive Insight:
The scholarships and internships are an example of the opportunities that can be made available to students when education leaders partner with representatives from local industries, whether that’s shipping and trade in a coastal city or manufacturing in Colorado.
In 2016, for example, Cabrillo High School in the Long Beach Unified School District, created its Academy of Global Logistics pathway program in which the port, the Center for International Trade and Transportation at CSULB and the school district work together to develop a four-year curriculum that prepares students for port-related careers either right out of high school or college.
An industry advisory board helps to support the pathway program, and students gain access to work-based learning experiences, such as port tours and classroom speakers. Teachers also participate in “externships,” spending up to a week with port employees to learn about operations.
“Teachers can learn about the port and create relevant, authentic learning experiences for their students,” Peter Davis, the assistant superintendent of high schools, said in an email.