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Five-Year Partnership Between Leon County Schools and Nopetro Yields Environmental Benefits, Over $1 Million in Savings

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Co-founder Jorge Herrera educates Cobb Middle School students on compressed natural gas.

Leon County Schools (LCS) and Nopetro today marked the fifth anniversary of their historic partnership to transition the district’s school bus fleet to compressed natural gas (CNG). That move has saved the district more than $1.1 million and reduced related vehicle emissions by 90 percent while inspiring other local entities to expand their use of CNG fuel.
School Board Chairwoman Joy Bowen hailed the benefits of the partnership during a celebration at the county’s CNG fueling station, which opened on Capital Circle SW  in 2012. The station now serves a growing number of city, county, university, and commercial fleet vehicles running on CNG. Joining Bowen at the event were Leon County Schools Superintendent Rocky Hanna, Florida League of Cities President and Tallahassee Mayor Pro Tem Gil Ziffer, County Commissioner Nick Maddox, and a class of Cobb Middle School students accompanied by science teacher Gina Glass.
LCS and Nopetro also introduced educational materials to help students understand the energy that fuels their school buses. The students from the Earth Space class at Cobb’s science magnet program rode a CNG school bus to the fueling station, where they received a brief lesson in the environmental benefits of compressed natural gas as a fuel source. An informational animated video about compressed natural gas is being provided to the school district and can be viewed at www.nopetro.com.
The partnership between Leon County Schools and Nopetro was the first of its kind in Florida when it launched in 2012, and has proven beneficial for the school district, other local governments, and commercial fleets. The use of CNG is both less costly and more environmentally friendly than diesel, averaging about 30 percent less cost and generating 90 percent fewer emissions of nitrogen oxide.
Nopetro serves as the school district’s CNG provider. The two have worked together growing the local market, and the District now has nearly half  its s buses – 94 out of 220 – being powered by CNG. Other local institutions, including Leon County, the City of Tallahassee, and Florida State University also utilize the Nopetro fueling station for their CNG vehicles. Over the course of the five years, the school district has saved more than $1.1 million through royalties and rebates, funds that can instead be used to enhance educational programs for Leon County students.
The Tallahassee fueling station was the first of a statewide network established by Nopetro, which now partners with  other governmental entities to provide CNG for fleets throughout  Florida, including the Lynx transit system in the Orlando area. Nopetro is working to expand its reach throughout Florida, providing energy alternatives across the transportation sector.

Complete Florida, T.E.A.C.H. partner to provide funding for day care providers returning to college

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The University of West Florida Innovation Institute’s Complete Florida program recently announced a new partnership with T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood Scholarship Program, an organization that helps day care providers earn a degree in early childhood education.CF _Logo1
“Complete Florida has always been an easy way for busy adults to return to college and finish their degree,” said Michelle Horton, director of Complete Florida Enrollment and Retention Management. “With our new partnership, we have now made it easier for adults to fully fund a degree in childhood education.”
Through this new partnership, adult students in the Complete Florida program who are returning to college to finish their degree in early childhood education are eligible to receive up to 100 percent funding assistance. Eligible participants include currently employed child care teachers and administrators. The majority of funding is provided by the T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood Scholarship Program, while the participant’s employer and Complete Florida each share 10 percent of the cost of tuition.
“Research shows that young children have better outcomes when their teachers are well educated,” said Lori Stegmeyer, director of the Florida T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood Scholarship Program. “The T.E.A.C.H. model has created real change for those working on the front lines of a critically important, but perpetually under-resourced industry. We know that lack of financial resources, lack of time, and lack of confidence are three major obstacles that impede early childhood teachers and directors from completing their college degrees. To address these barriers, T.E.A.C.H. scholars receive compensation and tuition support, paid release time, and personal support throughout their contracts. It really is a win-win for the field.”
Complete Florida offers more than 90 online degree and certificate programs at colleges and universities across the state. Through the new partnership, adult students can earn credit for credentials they have already earned and apply them toward a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education, Associate of Science in Early Childhood Management, or an Associate of Arts at Florida International University and Florida State College of Jacksonville.
This program allows students to take advantage of the flexible, convenient online courses. After completion, students are immediately ready to enter the workforce.
For more information, visit completeflorida.org.
About Complete Florida
Complete Florida is a state of Florida initiative to recruit and retain the state’s 2.8 million adults who have some college but no degree. Partnering with public and private higher education institutions in Florida, Complete Florida provides one-on-one planning, support and coaching for students with adult responsibilities. Dedicated coaches work alongside students as personal advocates, counselors and advisors while participants complete college courses 100 percent online. For more information, visit completeflorida.org.
About the UWF Innovation Institute
We are re-imaging how millions of people experience learning by exploring, designing, prototyping and delivering innovation for education. We collaborate with and serve the University of West Florida, partner organizations and institutions across the state of Florida who want to improve learning for the entire Florida education system. We are a trusted partner that provides research-driven, customer-centric, systems-thinking approach to sustainable innovation.