Nova Classical STEM Academy marked a major milestone Saturday, April 18 with an official ribbon-cutting ceremony in partnership with the Greater Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce, welcoming community leaders, families and supporters to its new campus ahead of its August opening.<\/p>\n
The event, held at the school\u2019s campus on Banway Road, featured remarks from local officials and education leaders, followed by a ceremonial ribbon cutting and guided tours of the facility.<\/p>\n
John Lai, interim president and CEO of the Greater Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce, joined Founding Principal Matt Sheets, Lee County Commissioner Trish Petrosky, Fort Myers Mayor Kevin Anderson and Dr. Yalcin Akin, president of Discovery Science Schools, in celebrating the school\u2019s launch.<\/p>\n
Speakers emphasized the school\u2019s role as both an educational innovation and an economic investment in the region, highlighting the importance of strong schools in supporting workforce development and community growth.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is more than the opening of a new school. It\u2019s an investment in the future of our community,\u201d said Sheets. \u201cWe\u2019re proud to bring a model to Southwest Florida that blends time-tested Classical education with hands-on STEM learning to prepare students for success in an ever-changing world.\u201d<\/p>\n
The event also highlighted early support from families who will be part of the school\u2019s inaugural class.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat attracted us here is what they say \u2014 but what has kept us here is what they do,\u201d said Taylor Watson, a parent of an incoming seventh-grade student. \u201cA lot of places say the right things, but here, you can actually feel it: the community, the support and the commitment to families. That\u2019s what made this the right choice for us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nova Classical STEM Academy is the first school in the world to integrate a Classical education foundation with STEM-focused, project-based learning in a tuition-free public charter school setting. The school will open in August 2026 serving grades K\u20137, with plans to expand annually through grade 12.<\/p>\n
The ribbon cutting follows strong community interest leading up to the school\u2019s opening. Nova Classical\u2019s recent Open House, Field Day and BBQ event drew approximately 300 attendees, helping to build early momentum and engagement among enrolled and prospective families.<\/p>\n
Guests at the ceremony also had the opportunity to tour the 73,000-square-foot campus, which will feature STEM laboratories, robotics resources, competitive academic programs and outdoor spaces designed to support hands-on learning and student collaboration.<\/p>\n
Enrollment for the 2026-27 school year remains open. Families can learn more or apply by visiting\u00a0NovaClassical.net<\/a>.<\/p>\n About Nova Classical STEM Academy<\/p>\n Nova Classical STEM Academy is the first school in the world to integrate a Classical education foundation with STEM-enriched, project-based learning in a tuition-free public charter school setting. Approved by the Lee County School Board, Nova Classical STEM Academy will open in August 2026 with grades K\u20137 and expand annually to serve grades K\u201312. Rooted in classical humanistic values and enriched with modern scientific exploration, Nova Classical prepares scholars to think clearly, live purposefully and lead with character. Learn more at\u00a0NovaClassical.net<\/a>\u00a0or call 239-483-8340.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Nova Classical STEM Academy marked a major milestone Saturday, April 18 with an official ribbon-cutting ceremony in partnership…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":167303,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[209,211,210],"class_list":["post-240990","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cape-coral","tag-cape-coral","tag-cape-coral-headlines","tag-cape-coral-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/240990","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=240990"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/240990\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/167303"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=240990"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=240990"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=240990"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}