South Florida State College

The 228 acres (0.92 km2) Highlands Campus is located two miles (3 km) south of Avon Park, Florida.

A Highlands-Hardee Junior College Advisory Committee was appointed by the Florida State Board of Education.

The college immediately began expansion of its programs and even had a basketball team in its first year of existence.

That same year, a vocational technical program was started and groundbreaking ceremonies were held on the Highlands Campus's current site.

This unit provides training and education in criminal justice, emergency medical services, and law endorsement.

In 2002, the Museum of Florida Art and Culture and the University Center, which houses the college's bachelor's and advanced degree programs, were opened.

The Highlands, Hardee, and DeSoto campuses and Lake Placid Center offer a variety of vocational and academic programs.

The six performance series offered are the Artist, Matinee, Jazz, Kaleidoscope, Summer, and Young People's Theatre.

Past performers have included Engelbert Humperdinck, Bob Newhart, Marie Osmond, and the Smothers Brothers.

Since 2002, the Highlands Campus has been home to the SFSC Museum of Florida Art and Culture, which is open from October through May, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, 12:30-4:30 p.m.

MOFAC also serves as a repository for the discoveries unearthed by members of the Kissimmee Valley Archaeological and Historical Conservancy.

The museum also oversees the Wildflower Wayside Shrine Trail, an ongoing exhibition in which science, art, and the natural world come together.

This self-guided walking trail explores pristine scrubland on the Highlands Campus and contains six shrine boxes created by artist Mollie Doctrow to honor the endangered plant species found on the Lake Wales Ridge, the oldest ecosystem in the southeastern United States.

Specialized courses are geared for adult education needs and coursework is offered through a mix of traditional classroom and distance learning instruction.