Pensacola News Journal

Op-Ed: Sen. Rick Scott and Sen. Marco Rubio

April 26, 2021

Every student in this country deserves access to a high-quality education, especially when it comes to the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields that are integral to countless American jobs. In particular, we owe active-duty military parents, who juggle raising children and their service to the nation each day, the opportunity to provide their kids with strong academic programs.

Disappointingly, military families at Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola lack that opportunity. Servicemembers are frequently forced to leave their families behind when moving to the base or choose to live far away and commute long distances, all so their children can have more educational choices at their disposal.

We will continue pushing for more educational reform in Escambia County and throughout Florida -- in particular, expanding school choice, so Floridians can decide what kind of education would best serve their children. Thankfully, for the students of Escambia County, there’s a helpful option we can act on immediately: establishing a Department of Defense (DoD) Science Technology Academies Reinforcing Basic Aviation Space Exploration (STARBASE) Program.

A STARBASE Program would serve as a first step to improve educational outcomes in Escambia and go a long way to offering children at NAS Pensacola high-quality academic programs in STEM. After all, access to a high-quality STEM education can be life-changing.

Through a STARBASE Program, fifth-grade students in Escambia County would be able to gain firsthand experience with cutting-edge military practices in unmanned aerial flight, telecommunications, environmental science, as well as avionics and engineering. The program would very much be at home in Pensacola, America’s Cradle of Naval Aviation and home of the U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels.

It would also help to motivate local students by strengthening relationships between the installation and surrounding communities. In partnership with the National Naval Aviation Academy and Escambia County School District, NAS Pensacola aims to enroll approximately 1,500 students annually, including many underrepresented in STEM.

Fortunately, support is growing. So far, the National Naval Aviation Academy, Escambia County School District, the Greater Pensacola Chamber of Commerce, and the West Florida Defense Alliance have all endorsed launching a STARBASE Program at NAS Pensacola. Now we just need the DoD to get on board and authorize NAS Pensacola’s application for the program. It’s past time to give our nation’s servicemembers – and their children – the opportunities they deserve.

Sen. Rick Scott and Sen. Marco Rubio co-wrote this guestview.

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Read more at: https://www.pnj.com/story/opinion/2021/04/26/nas-pensacola-kids-need-starbase-program-guestview/7381737002/