Tuesday, January 5, 2010

The Florida Keys are unique in the continental United States. Our geography and climate make us a mecca for divers and all things aquatic. When the higher latitudes are buried under blankets of ice and snow, our waters remain inviting.

This fact has not been lost on Florida Keys Community College (FKCC), which has developed one of the foremost schools of diving in the country. While there are other colleges offering underwater courses, none have the clear, relatively warm water of the Florida Keys, giving FKCC an advantage when competing against other institutions.

Officially named the James E. Lockwood Jr. School of Diving and Underwater Technology, this program is poised to grow rapidly. Its courses range from recreational diving to commercial certification, including classes in scientific, photographic and police diving.

Thanks to a recent Department of Defense appropriation of more than $2 million, FKCC will be expanding its diving courses, and soon will develop an underwater training program for the Navy. With America's expanding defense infrastructure, this new program makes perfect sense as a natural progression for the school. As the program grows, it brings new students and enrollment dollars to the college.

On the other side of Key West, the Army maintains its Special Forces Underwater Operations School. A surprise to some, the small base's most recognizable feature -- the tall building jutting up above the mangroves -- is in reality a dive tank. This very specialized school's primary focus is combat diving and underwater warfare.

In contrast, the new program being developed at FKCC is not offensively oriented, but instead focuses more on defensive underwater security. What both schools have in common is the ability to teach students year-round, thanks to the unique climate in the Keys.

The new partnership between FKCC and the Navy sets the stage for continued growth of the diving program and the college. We are glad to see the college capitalizing on these advantages of location and resources, enabling it to fill an educational niche while creating a more fiscally sound institution.

-- The Citizen