The College of the Florida Keys launches its 60th anniversary year today with the start of the fall semester, marking six decades of providing accessible higher education throughout the Florida Keys. Under the theme "Infinite Horizons: Pioneering Success Since 1965," the College will host events throughout the academic year ending in May 2026. The milestone celebration honors the institution's evolution from a small junior college serving 500 students to a comprehensive state college offering programs from high school diplomas to bachelor's degrees and workforce training across multiple locations from Key West to Key Largo.

The doors to the ceramics program at The College of the Florida Keys (CFK) re-open on Friday, August 29 with an open house for students and the community. The CFK Ceramics Open House will run from 2:00 - 5:00 p.m. on the Key West campus. Guests can tour the ceramics studio facilities, register for membership and lessons, enjoy snacks, shop mud-pi pottery items for sale, and meet the new artist-in-residence, Dennis Loucks.

Four members of The College of the Florida Keys (CFK) swim team were named to the 2024-25 National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) All-Academic Team, recognizing exceptional academic performance throughout the year.

The College of the Florida Keys’ (CFK) Institute for Public Safety (IPS) held a graduation ceremony for Basic Law Enforcement Academy #91 on July 25 at the Coral Shores High School Auditorium. Twenty-one cadets successfully completed the 770-hour training program. Upon passing the state certification exam, each will be eligible to become a Florida Law Enforcement Officer.

Be sure to plan a visit to the Tuga Clinic in the Student Center on CFK's Key West Campus at 5901 College Road. After a break for summer, the Tuga Clinic re-opens on Tuesday, August 5, 2025. From primary care to occupational and school health physicals, the Tuga Clinic provides general health services to CFK employees and students, and the public.

The College of the Florida Keys will host the inaugural TEDxCFK, "Paradise Within: Unlocking Human Potential," Saturday, August 23 at 2:00 p.m. in the Tennessee Williams Theater on the Key West Campus. Doors will open at 1:00 p.m. Thirteen speakers from all walks of life will share stories of perseverance, determination, and achieving self-transformation through cultivating confidence and happiness from within.  

Fourteen students from The College of the Florida Keys (CFK) were awarded scholarships during the famous Hemingway Look-Alike Contest over the weekend. For 26 years, the “Papas” of the Hemingway Look-Alike Society (HLAS), have been “putting the ‘fun’ in scholarship fundraising” supporting the dreams of over 300 CFK students to date and ensuring their celebration of Hemingway’s spirit also leaves a lasting, positive impact on the community.

Recent high school graduates in the Middle and Upper Keys can now attend college free through the new NextGen Opportunity Workforce (NOW) Scholarship, which covers tuition, fees, books, and more. The NOW Scholarship at The College of the Florida Keys removes financial barriers for students enrolled in career programs and who plan to build their careers in the Keys.

The College of the Florida Keys will hold “Fast Track to Fall” on Wednesday, July 30, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., at the Key West Campus and at the Upper Keys Center in Key Largo to help prospective students quickly get on a path toward their academic and career training goals this upcoming fall semester. New student applications are due August 1 and classes begin August 19. New students who participate in Fast Track to Fall will have their application fee waived, a savings of $30, and receive a $100 Kick-Starter Scholarship.

Four diving students at The College of the Florida Keys have advanced from the role of student to instructor. Each successfully passed the Professional Association of Dive Instructors (PADI) Instructor Examination (IE) on June 25, certifying them as open water scuba instructors. The PADI IE is a two-day evaluative program conducted by a visiting PADI employee who tests an instructor candidate’s teaching ability, dive theory knowledge, skill level, understanding of the PADI System, and attitude and professionalism. With PADI certification, widely considered the gold standard in the diving industry, these diving instructors will be qualified for attractive diving professional jobs around the world—teaching individuals how to scuba dive.