The collaboration aims to address a long-standing gap in how students enter one of Florida\u2019s fastest-growing creative industries.<\/i><\/p>\n
Florida has long been a global center for themed entertainment, but for many students hoping to enter the industry, the path can feel unclear.<\/p>\n
Spanning storytelling, architecture, engineering, media, operations, and production, today\u2019s immersive experiences demand skills that rarely live within a single academic discipline.<\/p>\n
A new partnership between the University of Central Florida and leading immersive experience design, production, and project management company AOA aims to change that.<\/p>\n
UCF\u2019s Themed Experience graduate programs at College of Arts and Humanities and AOA have launched the AOA Scholars Program, a hands-on practicum designed to give graduate students direct exposure to the real-world processes behind themed entertainment design and production.<\/p>\n
The program addresses a common challenge in the field: while demand for immersive attractions, museums, and experiences continues to grow, there is an expanding need for practical training and field work for emerging talent.<\/p>\n
\u201cFlorida is home to some of the most sophisticated themed entertainment work in the world, but the way people enter the industry hasn\u2019t kept pace,\u201d said Tom Acomb, Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer of AOA. \u201cThis program is about opening the door earlier and giving students a clearer view of how these projects actually come together.\u201d<\/p>\n
Each semester, a select cohort of students will participate in workshops led by AOA professionals, visit active project sites and production facilities, and learn how creative, technical, and operational decisions intersect in real projects.<\/p>\n
“AOA has always believed in investing in early-career talent, starting with a strong internship program that\u2019s been part of our culture since the early days,\u201d said Mike Ostendorf, Co-Founder and CEO of AOA.\u00a0\u201cThis partnership with UCF is an evolution of that long-standing commitment – because seeing the full lifecycle of a project up close matters.”<\/span><\/p>\n UCF will oversee academic structure and accreditation, while AOA will contribute funding and industry expertise.<\/p>\n \u201cThis partnership gives students access to professional workflows with one of the top firms in the themed entertainment industry with diverse project and a global reach\u201d said Peter Weishar, Director of Themed Experience at UCF. \u201cIt strengthens Florida\u2019s role as a global talent pipeline for themed entertainment.\u201d<\/p>\n The AOA Scholars Program is expected to begin next academic year, reinforcing Central Florida\u2019s position as a training ground for the next generation of immersive experience professionals.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The collaboration aims to address a long-standing gap in how students enter one of Florida\u2019s fastest-growing creative industries. Florida has long been a global center for themed entertainment, but for many students hoping to enter the industry, the path can feel unclear. Spanning storytelling, architecture, engineering, media, operations, and production, today\u2019s immersive experiences demand skills […]","protected":false},"author":"","featured_media":"https:\/\/cah.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/49\/2026\/02\/Themed-Expereince-Newsletter.png","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"dept":[10,26],"class_list":["post-16473","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","dept-college-of-arts-and-humanities","dept-themed-experience"],"acf":[],"approved":0,"site_name":"CAH News","yoast_head":"\n