RINCON -- Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle's education babies are growing up. The visionary behind Georgia's college and career academy concept visited one of them Friday morning.

Cagle was a special guest at Effingham College and Career Academy's Industry Appreciation Ceremony and STEM Academy Dedication.

College and career academies are designed to help students compete in the global economy by offering advanced career and technical education. Students can earn credentials and professional certification in nursing, allied health, sports medicine, engineering, robotics, web design, computer science, culinary arts, automotive technology and maintenance, and logistics.

"When I first started the college and career academy network, I never thought that, one, we would be able to see so much success as early we have," Cagle said. "But now we have 46 of these across Georgia. This one here in Effingham County is really leading the pack in so many ways.

"The new STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) Academy is another addition to be able to attract more students and it has created an environment where kids are fighting to get in instead of fighting to get out."

Effingham College and Career Academy, a high school charter program authorized by the Effingham County Board of Education and led by CEO Dr. Barbara Prosser, has enjoyed tremendous growth since it opened in 2010 with 300 students.

"It's over 1,000 kids that they are serving here (currently) so the percentage continues to increase," Cagle said. "It's leading the pack in the fact that its graduation rates were 100 percent in 2016, along with their 50-some-odd number of collaborative partners that they have been able to develop as well. In every category, they really are exceeding."

See the May 2 edition of the Effingham Herald for more details.