How STEMCAT's Junior CEO Program Builds Skills Through STEM and Entrepreneurship

This summer, I had the privilege of joining students, families and community leaders at STEMCAT's Next Gen CEO Luncheon in Fort Myers. The event celebrated young people who had spent their summer doing something many adults do not attempt until much later: building, pitching and taking ownership of a real venture.

What stayed with me was not only the quality of their ideas. It was the confidence behind them. Through the STEMCAT Junior CEO Program, students gain hands-on experience in STEM, entrepreneurship and leadership while learning how their skills can create value in the real world.

What is STEMCAT?

STEMCAT is a Fort Myers-based workforce development nonprofit and a registered DBA of I Will Mentorship Foundation, a federally recognized 501(c)(3). Its name combines Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics with Community Advancement and Training.

That name reflects the organization's purpose: building a workforce system that helps youth and adults develop practical skills, connect with mentors and move toward lasting economic opportunity.

Why STEM career exposure starts early

STEMCAT describes its approach in a direct way: "We start at eight, not eighteen." By the time many students reach high school, they may have already decided that engineering, aviation, healthcare technology or entrepreneurship is not for them. Early exposure can interrupt that assumption before it becomes a limit.

Beginning in third grade, STEMCAT guides students through exposure, experience and skill-building. A participant can remain connected to the system for years, moving from a first encounter with a technical field to applied training, mentorship and employment opportunities.

The model draws inspiration from Bill Strickland, founder of Manchester Bidwell Corporation, whose work demonstrated how dignity, high expectations and real experience can expand a young person's sense of what is possible. STEMCAT applies that principle to fields including advanced manufacturing, aviation, semiconductors, healthcare technology and modern agriculture.

Seven STEM and workforce pathways

STEMCAT's programs give students and adult learners room to explore several career directions:

• Engineering, including CNC machining and precision milling

• Health, with preparation for future healthcare professionals and leaders

• Agriculture, centered on modern, technology-integrated farming

• Computer technology, including artificial intelligence, gaming and digital innovation

• Aviation and drone technology, including flight simulation and introductory ground school

• Entrepreneurship, helping participants turn ideas and skills into ownership

• Hospitality, including culinary training and sustainable food preparation

This range matters because students rarely discover their future in a straight line. A young person drawn to robotics may uncover an interest in healthcare, agriculture or business ownership. A connected system allows that curiosity to develop without forcing the student into one narrow track.

How the STEMCAT Junior CEO Program works

The Junior CEO Program is a semester-long internship experience for rising high school students and an entry point to STEMCAT's Junior Latimer Fellows program. While earlier camps introduce students to technical fields, Junior CEO adds a different responsibility: ownership.

Each participant develops, pitches and operates a real micro-venture with guidance from a mentor. Projects may connect to fabrication, robotics, aviation, health technology or another STEMCAT pathway. Students receive weekly coaching from an industry professional or founder, then present a live pitch or demonstration at the end of the program.

The experience develops communication, planning and problem-solving alongside technical knowledge. More importantly, it allows a student to say, "I built this. I led this. I can do it again." That shift in self-perception can influence future education, career decisions and the expectations a student carries back to family and community.

Workforce development that reaches beyond the classroom

STEMCAT also connects workforce training with community needs. Its Healthcare Service Incubator supports entrepreneurs in health and wellness. The Urban Community Farm and Food Pharmacy combine fresh-food access with education in sustainable agriculture. Other initiatives create space for learning, culture and neighborhood connection.

Together, these efforts form an infrastructure rather than a collection of isolated programs. Students can see how technical skill connects to community health, local business growth and meaningful employment. Employers gain a stronger pipeline of people who have already practiced collaboration and applied problem-solving.

A Small Role in a Larger Effort

I have the privilege of serving on STEMCAT's Board of Directors, alongside a group of business, education, and community leaders, and under the CEO leadership of Dr. Jesse Bryson. But the credit for this work belongs to the students, families, mentors, and staff who show up for it every day. My own career in healthcare leadership has taught me how much it matters when someone is simply given a real chance and the support to make use of it. STEMCAT builds that chance for young people across our community, and I'm grateful for the small part I get to play in it.

Support hands-on STEM education

The future workforce is already taking shape in classrooms, workshops and student-led ventures. When young people receive early exposure, trusted mentorship and a chance to build something real, they begin to see themselves as people who belong in the industries growing around them.

To learn more, mentor a student or support the Junior CEO Program, visit stemcat.org.

Frequently asked questions

What is the STEMCAT Junior CEO Program?

It is a semester-long internship experience for rising high school students. Participants build, pitch and operate a micro-venture with mentor support while developing STEM, entrepreneurship and leadership skills.

Who is the STEMCAT Junior CEO Program for?

The program is designed for rising high school students who are ready to explore STEM, entrepreneurship, leadership and real-world problem-solving.

What career pathways does STEMCAT offer?

STEMCAT offers pathways in engineering, health, agriculture, computer technology, aviation and drone technology, entrepreneurship and hospitality.

Interested in learning more? Please reach out to me at sawolfdo@gmail.com.