Congratulations to Carrie Meyers, Director of Education and
Workforce talent for FSU InSPIRE at Florida State University’s Learning Systems
Institute (LSI)! Meyers serves to guide
the educational strategy of a long-term regional initiative designed to
strengthen Northwest Florida’s talent pipeline for high-demand industries,
including advanced manufacturing and aerospace.
A veteran educator with nearly three decades of experience spanning
kindergarten through college instruction, she is known for translating complex
STEM concepts into classroom-ready learning that builds both technical
competence and durable workforce skills. Her career includes extensive work in
mathematics education, STEM integration, and digital learning innovation, along
with authorship of standards-aligned mathematics resources and development of
interdisciplinary STEM curricula and tools used by educators and students.
In her InSPIRE role, Meyers champions workforce-connected
professional learning that positions educators as “workforce multipliers”,
equipping teachers with the confidence, credentials, and curriculum needed to
bring real-world advanced manufacturing and engineering technology contexts
into K–12 learning. She has led and supported professional learning experiences
that blend emerging technologies (including AI, prompt engineering, and
engineering design pedagogy) with practical applications tied to regional
career pathways and industry needs. For example, she created and delivered
AIENGIN102, a course that equips educators to design open-ended engineering
lessons using AI tools while emphasizing ethics, bias, and real-world problem
solving connected to aerospace and advanced manufacturing pathways.
In recognition of her innovation in
education, Meyers and her team received Florida State University’s Ralph Stair
Prize in Innovative Education in 2025, an honor that aligns with her leadership
in developing and advancing AI-focused coursework and pathways within
InSPIRE.
Meyers is also a visible advanced manufacturing champion who
builds bridges among schools, industry partners, and statewide manufacturing
networks to expand career awareness and authentic engagement. Her work includes
leading regional efforts connected to Advanced Manufacturing Month; organizing
and supporting local school STEAM events that connect students and families
with manufacturing careers through industry panels and interactive, hands-on
demonstrations; and creating opportunities for educators and students to “see
themselves” in modern manufacturing through relevant experiences and exposure
to real workplaces and workforce professionals.
A hallmark of her approach is designing educator experiences that
translate directly into student opportunity. Meyers strengthens
educator-to-workforce pathways by bringing external partners into InSPIRE
learning experiences and helping teachers convert professional learning into
student-facing programs, resources, and next-step options. She has also
supported credential-aligned learning opportunities through partnerships that
help educators earn workforce-relevant badges and build practical capability,
supporting regional readiness for technical careers in advanced manufacturing,
aerospace, and related fields.
Beyond her regional workforce efforts, Meyers’ broader
portfolio reflects deep expertise in research-to-practice implementation,
including leadership roles in statewide educational initiatives, assessment
development, and digital resource creation for teachers. Her work has extended
internationally through mathematics standards development and educator
capacity-building projects, reinforcing a career-long commitment to scalable,
research-based solutions that improve learning and opportunity.
Across all of her work, Carrie Meyers is
driven by a workforce-centered goal: ensure educators and students in Northwest
Florida have access to the skills, credentials, experiences, and industry
connections that make high-wage, high-demand career pathways, especially in
advanced manufacturing and aerospace, real, visible, and attainable.
When asked why she thinks manufacturing education is
important, Meyers states that
Manufacturing education is essential because
it builds the technical and durable skill foundation that students and workers
need to succeed in a rapidly evolving, high-tech economy and that modern
manufacturing is no longer defined by routine production alone; it requires
proficiency in advanced technologies (automation, additive manufacturing, data
analytics, and AI-enabled systems), along with problem-solving, communication,
and quality-focused decision-making. Early and sustained
exposure helps learners understand what manufacturing careers actually look
like today and expands access to high-wage, high-demand opportunities.
Meyers points out that manufacturing education strengthens
regional competitiveness by aligning talent development with employer needs and
by accelerating pathways from K-12 through technical college, higher education,
and adult upskilling. When educators have the content knowledge, tools, and
industry connections to embed authentic manufacturing and engineering contexts
into instruction, students develop stronger STEM identities, clearer career
awareness, and more confidence to pursue technical pathways. This is especially
important in regions like Northwest Florida that are experiencing growth in
aerospace, defense, and advanced manufacturing, where workforce shortages can
limit economic development.
She goes on to state that:
Manufacturing education supports
equity and community resilience by providing multiple entry points into
meaningful careers, including stackable credentials and industry
certifications. These pathways allow learners to upskill over time as
technology changes, ensuring that the workforce remains adaptable and that
local communities can sustain long-term growth.
Creating our future makers is not just essential, it is a skill that
must be nurtured with time and commitment. Just like practicing reading,
playing the piano or working out to be the best in an athletic event,
supporting our manufacturing future must start with our youngest makers and
inventors. They need time to build muscle memory in how to solve problems,
create new ideas, test and redesign and know they play the most essential part
in America’s Manufacturing future and success!
Carrie Meyer’s outstanding contributions to manufacturing
and/or engineering technology education and training include the following:
- April 2026: Coordinated with Florida Makes and
FLATE an industry–education speed networking event designed to connect teachers
directly with advanced manufacturing and engineering technology partners.
- Sept 2025: Co-presented at the FLATE Engineering
Technology (ET) Forum on “FSU InSPIRE,” sharing a replicable model for
workforce-connected professional learning that helps teachers become “workforce
multipliers.”
- Fall 2025: Helped lead regional advanced
manufacturing career awareness efforts tied to Advanced Manufacturing Month,
partnering across education, industry, and statewide manufacturing networks to
broaden student exposure to modern manufacturing careers and pathways.
- Created virtual tours at Fort Walton Machining
and Maritech featured for free on CPALMS.
https://www.cpalms.org/ResourceCollection/Preview/686
- 2025-26 School Year: Organized and supported 3
local school STEAM events that intentionally connected students and families
with advanced manufacturing careers by bringing in industry experts and
manufacturing partners for panel discussions and interactive booths. Events
featured hands-on additive manufacturing demonstrations, including 3D printing
connected to modern advanced manufacturing.
- Summer 2025: Supported implementation of the
ROBO101 summer course and strengthened educator-to-workforce pathways by
inviting Jolee Martin to present about
Florida Makes across all InSPIRE courses. Over 300 teachers have heard
her sessions helping teachers understand how to translate course experiences
into student opportunities and next-step program options.
- Jan 2025: Created and delivered AIENGIN102
(“Leveraging AI Prompt Engineering for Engineering Design Pedagogy”), equipping
educators to design open-ended engineering lessons using AI and Microsoft Word
while emphasizing ethics, bias, and real-world problem solving connected to
aerospace and advanced manufacturing career pathways.
- Summer 2024: Supported launching
industry-education credentials with Microsoft and FSU, including AI educator
certification and Microsoft Office Specialist skills for teachers and students
in advanced manufacturing and aerospace. The course emphasized e-reader and
graphic novel creation to highlight STEM and manufacturing innovations.
Teachers also toured FSU’s wind tunnel and High-Performance Materials Lab to
learn about composite materials.
Congratulations again to Carrie for her support of
manufacturing education and career awareness!
For more information on the FLATE Awards visit http://fl-ate.org/programs/flate-awards,
or contact Ernie Friend, Executive Director of FLATE, at ernie.friend@flate.org.
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