Florida's Polk State College Gets $276,069 State Grant: Drone Systems for Agricultural Technology and Dual Enrollment
The JD Alexander Center of Polk State College, in Lake Wales, Polk County, Florida, announced on November 4 that the college has received a $276,069 Workforce Capitalization Grant from the Florida Department of Education to develop agricultural technology education. Governor Ron DeSantis announced the award at the college.
The money will buy multiple unmanned aircraft systems (drones) for teaching in the college's AgriPolk agriculture program, expand dual-enrollment opportunities for local high school students, and support drone-related certificate offerings.
AgriPolk launched in October 2025 with an associate degree pathway and agricultural coursework, working with the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF IFAS) and its College of Agricultural and Life Sciences in Polk County to connect students into UF agriculture programs. The college also plans a new Associate in Science in Precision Agriculture Technology, slated to go to its board for approval on November 30.
Florida Education Commissioner Dr. Henry Mack and Polk State President Anastasios Kamoutsas attended the announcement. The college says Polk County is one of Florida's agricultural centers, and drones for scouting, mapping and crop protection are becoming everyday tools on local farms.
(Source: Polk State College)
Source: Polk State College
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 农业无人机在田间作业（资料图）。Shreesha Sharma 摄，CC BY-SA 4.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / An agricultural drone working over a field (file photo). Photo by Shreesha Sharma, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Arkansas State University-Mountain Home Receives $720,298 USDA Grant: Distance-Learning Upgrades at Four Sites for About 14,319 Rural Residents2026-11-05
Kentucky's Union Commonwealth University Wins About $2.5 Million in Title III Funding: A New Career and Student Success Center and a $250,000 Matched Endowment2026-11-05