President Obama Visits Port of Tampa

The President will visit the Port of Tampa today on his way to Colombia for the Sixth Summit of the Americas.

He’s expected to highlight the benefits of trade with Latin America and some students from Blake High School will be some of the few who have been asked to be there.

U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Tampa invited the students, their principal and the students’ teacher.

It is not clear if the students will get to meet with Obama, but hopes are high.

The students are enrolled in Blake’s Maritime and Marine Science Academy, which was launched this year with a grant from the nonprofit Helios Education Foundation.

According to the U.S. Labor Department, maritime jobs will increase 15 percent by 2018. Tampa’s port is the largest in the state and among the 20 largest in the nation.

The academy’s classes introduce students to a range of skills and job possibilities, including admiralty law, oceanography, navigation and marine biology. They learn about port operations on field trips.