For the past 30 years, Universal Orlando Resort has proudly partnered with Orange County Public Schools (OCPS) to provide an alternative approach to traditional learning for local high school students through the Universal Education Center (UEC).  

Located on the grounds of Universal Orlando, each student receives a comprehensive education, real-world work experience at the theme parks, meaningful mentorship from leaders at Universal and individualized attention.  

Students attend core subject classes onsite in mathematics, history, science and language arts, with small student-to-teacher ratios to support OCPS educational benchmarks and provide ample resources to address each student’s individual needs.  

UEC students also gain on-the-job training while working in the parks as paid Team Members – with students working across food & beverage, merchandising, attractions and more. Members of the Universal Orlando management team mentor students, cultivating further learning beyond the classroom and workplace.  

Over the last 30 years, the UEC has graduated more than 600 students, several of whom go on to continue their careers at Universal Orlando. This includes Jerico, a chef assistant at Universal Islands of Adventure where he helps lead a full-service kitchen. He is a proud alumnus of UEC class of 2019 and attributes the program to his career success.

Jerico says, “It’s like the learning plans were designed for me. The UEC put me on the right path to where I wanted to be, and the relationships I built while I was in school helped me to become the amazing worker I am today.”

We look forward to continuing our partnership with OCPS and fostering relationships with the community as we welcome the 2024-2025 class of UEC students.