STEM Futures
Established in 2013, STEM Futures equips JROTC high school cadets with hands-on STEM design challenges and leadership experiences tied to real-world military and civilian careers. The model emphasizes teamwork, communication, critical thinking, and applied problem-solving, helping cadets understand how leadership and technical skill development work together in future workforce roles.
STEM Futures Academies are built to be immersive, practical, and motivating. Cadets engage in experiences that connect classroom concepts to engineering, technology, systems thinking, and national workforce priorities, creating a stronger bridge between student potential and future opportunity.
What We Do
We bolster traditional cadet leadership activities by adding thoughtfully-designed hands-on STEM curriculum (STEM on the Land, STEM on the Sea, STEM in the Air, etc.) paired with visits to related worksites.
Where We Are
The first STEM Futures Academy took place in Mobile, Alabama, in 2015. Since then, they have spread from coast to coast, with three new Academies in Chicago, Mississippi, and greater Washington, D.C. in the works in 2027 thanks to support from DoD-STEM.
