300 Seminole County students explore STEAM careers at Sanford campus

Three hundred Seminole County middle school students spent June 8 moving through science, technology, engineering, the arts and math workshops at Seminole State College of Florida’s Sanford/Lake Mary campus, getting a first look at the careers local employers say are waiting after graduation. The second annual Future United STEAM Day was designed to connect classroom lessons to real jobs in health care, construction, public safety, infrastructure and digital technology.

Heart of Florida United Way brought students from Greenwood Lakes, Jackson Heights, Markham Woods, Millennium, Teague and Tuskawilla middle schools to the campus for live demonstrations and interactive activities. The event gave students hands-on exposure to how college life works and how STEAM subjects can translate into occupations in Central Florida, not just abstract school subjects. The Sanford Herald described the program as Seminole County’s inaugural version of Future United STEAM Day, after last year’s first event took place at Valencia College’s West Campus in Orange County with 250 middle school students.

The partner lineup showed the county’s workforce mix in miniature. Representatives from GOAA, Orlando Health, Randall Construction, Seminole County Government Fire, Watershed Management, Landfill and Water Management, Seminole State College and Smart City helped students see jobs tied to airports, hospitals, construction sites, emergency response and utility operations. Kelly Astro, Heart of Florida United Way’s senior vice president of community impact, said the event was meant to help students see what is possible for their future by sparking curiosity, building confidence and showing how STEAM subjects connect to real-world careers and educational pathways.

The program also fit into Heart of Florida United Way’s Digital Horizons initiative, which the organization says is meant to bridge the digital divide in Central Florida. A Florida Senate funding request said Digital Horizons serves Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties through digital literacy instruction and access to personal computers, a reminder that the career pipeline starts long before high school or college.

The STEAM day came as Heart of Florida United Way and Seminole State College deepen a broader partnership in the county. In March, the groups announced a $1 million investment that included the new Raider C.A.R.E. Village on Seminole State’s Sanford/Lake Mary campus, and the college says its Destination Graduation partnership with the nonprofit has already served more than 2,800 students and invested more than $600,000 in direct support. For Seminole County families, the message was direct: the path from middle school to a local career is being built now, one campus visit at a time.