FPL and NextEra Energy Resources (NEER) hosted the 12th Annual Florida Power & Light/NextEra Energy Resources/William T. Dwyer High School R.B. “Rod” Adams Renewable Energy Competition. The event named in honor of the late R.B. “Rod” Adams, former tax director at FPL and founder of the program, has reached more than 900 students and provided more than $100,000 in college scholarships.
Beginning in August, executives took to the classroom teaching graduate-level finance concepts to juniors enrolled in Dwyer’s Academy of Finance. Over the course of six months, 65 students learned about real-life industry skills including cash flow and project feasibility, leadership, analysis and presentation skills that will help them thrive in corporate settings, such as NextEra Energy.
At the end of the six-month program, students split into teams, implementing all they learned to evaluate the financial feasibility of theoretical wind-driven, electric generating facilities or “wind farms”, the same type of work that NEER employees do every day. In March 2018, students presented their recommendations to a panel of judges that included FPL and NEER executives.
“At the end (of the course), students have this beautiful presentation,” said Tom Flowers, senior tax director, who leads the program. “The students are confident. They speak in financial terms. It’s great that they understand what we taught them. That’s rewarding. That’s why we are in it.”
FPL and NEER are committed to enriching Florida students’ experiences in science and math programs like the Dwyer Academy of Finance. Each student on the winning team received a $2,000 college scholarship. By investing in education programs that stretch students’ technical, communication and leadership skills, NextEra Energy is helping them prepare to thrive in real-world careers. Five Dwyer Academy of Finance alumni who participated in the program as students are now permanent employees.
These 2 articles where featured on local news and a local newspaper:
| Date | Outlet | Headline/Description |
|---|---|---|
| 4/11/18 | Palm Beach Post (Online) | Klean Currents team tops field in FPL competition at Dwyer High |
| 3/27/18 | WPTV (Online) | Dwyer High finance students win big at the renewable energy competition |
