Promoting Careers in Aquaculture 2.0, a program to help high school juniors and seniors gain experience in the aquaculture field, is now accepting applications from both high school students and teachers on the Middle Peninsula and Northern Neck.

After a successful 2023 pilot program for high school students, Promoting Careers in Aquaculture 2.0 will include a new focus on training local K-12 educators in shellfish aquaculture, according to a press release.The program is designed to support aquaculture industry partners by introducing students to a career path they may not have considered, said Mallory Tuttle, associate director of the Virginia Tech Newport News Center, in the release. “The goal is to build the workforce in an industry primed for growth,” she added.

The preferred application deadline is Feb. 29, but program applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until all seats are filled, said the release.

The 2024 timeline for the program includes eight weeks of o...