Yes. Families and young adults anywhere in Florida can work with a dedicated Blackburn mentor by video. Most of the state is on Eastern time, but the western Panhandle, including Pensacola and Panama City, is on Central time. We schedule every session in the local time you actually keep, so nobody has to do the math.
A long state with two clocks
It is easy to forget how far Florida stretches. From Pensacola to Key West is a very long drive, and the Panhandle sits closer to Alabama than to Miami. The time zone line follows the Apalachicola River, roughly; Tallahassee is on Eastern time, while the coast to its west is mostly Central. Families who split time between regions, or students who move from South Florida to a Panhandle campus, cross that line without thinking. We keep track for you.
Florida’s regions
- South Florida: Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach, international, bilingual and fast-moving, with finance, trade, tourism and real estate.
- Tampa Bay: Tampa, St. Petersburg and Clearwater, a growing center for finance, health care and the military.
- Central Florida: Orlando, its theme parks and hospitality industry, plus a growing tech and simulation sector, with the Space Coast to the east.
- Northeast Florida: Jacksonville, a port city with logistics, banking and a large Navy presence.
- Southwest Florida: Sarasota, Fort Myers and Naples, popular with families and retirees.
- North Florida and the Panhandle: Tallahassee, Gainesville, Pensacola and the Emerald Coast.
What the economy looks like
Tourism is the best-known industry, but Florida is much more than that. Aerospace and launch activity on the Space Coast, international trade through its ports, finance and corporate relocations to South Florida and Tampa, health care, construction and real estate, agriculture (citrus, sugarcane, vegetables and cattle) and a large military presence all matter. Florida also has no state personal income tax, which draws both businesses and new residents.
Many young adults move to Florida for work, and many grow up here in families that moved from elsewhere. Building a career and a routine in a place where everyone is new is a common reason to bring in a mentor.
Schools and colleges in general terms
Florida’s public schools are organized into large county-wide districts, some among the biggest in the country. There is a robust charter sector, broad school choice, and many independent and religious schools, particularly in South Florida, Tampa and Orlando. Dual enrollment, taking college courses during high school, is widely used.
After high school, the state university system includes a dozen public universities, and the Florida College System offers two-year and some four-year degrees across the state. A state merit scholarship keeps many students in Florida, while others head north for college and plenty of students from other states come down. Either way, first-year independence is where a mentor often helps most.
Who this fits in Florida
- High school students balancing school, sports and dual enrollment, with a parent or guardian involved throughout: mentoring for high school students.
- College students on large campuses in-state or out of state: mentoring for college students.
- Young adults and professionals settling into a new city, or ready for a next step: young adult mentoring.
- Families who want regular updates and one steady adult in the student’s corner: mentoring for families.
Hurricane season can interrupt routines for days or weeks. Because sessions are online, they can move or pause around a storm and pick up from wherever the family lands.
Pages for areas in Florida
- Miami and Palm Beach
- Fort Lauderdale
- Naples and Fort Myers
- Sarasota
- Tampa
- Orlando
- Jacksonville
- Gainesville
- Tallahassee
More about the format is on our online mentoring page; other states are on the mentoring by state page.
Related
Common questions
Which time zone do you use for Florida?
Whichever one you live in. Most of Florida is Eastern time; the western Panhandle, including Pensacola and Panama City, is Central. A 4 pm Eastern session is 1 pm for a mentor in Los Angeles.
What happens to sessions during a hurricane?
Sessions can be rescheduled or paused around a storm and resume by video once it is safe, wherever the family is staying.
Can a mentor help a student juggling dual enrollment and high school?
Yes. Mentors help students plan the week around two sets of deadlines and keep up the routines that make it work. They are not tutors or academic advisors, and they can coordinate with either if the family wishes.
Do you have an office in Florida?
No. Our team is in Los Angeles, and Florida clients work with their mentor entirely by video.
Get started
Want to talk about a student or young adult in Florida? Call (888) 305 5422, email contact@blackburnmentoring.com or start with a short assessment. A member of our team reviews every assessment personally and sets up a free intro call.