The JSTEM Academy is a virtual online and hands-on project-based learning program for students.  jungleSTEM develops community partnerships and reinvests a portion of its profits into low-cost tuition and needs based scholarships for STEM education.  Not reinventing the wheel, JSTEM curates content aligned to computer science tracks and hosts a safe virtual computing lab environment for guided student learning.  Additionally, equipment for project-based learning modules is provided to promote hands-on activities.

Successful participants can earn industry-recognized certifications along the way.  Committed students can earn testing vouchers to pay for the certification exams.  Students will write up and present projects to build professional written and oral communication skills, plus assemble a portfolio of completed projects to show potential employers.  Graduates of the program will be invited to apply to jungleSTEM’s incubator program and partner on commercial opportunities as a 1099 contractor.  The goal is to develop a positive feedback cycle by growing the next generation of computer science talent while also creating career opportunities.  This is a win-win for the community, especially for students who prefer a non-traditional path to accelerate their earning potential.   These students can enter the workforce with high paying professional careers without the burden of student loan debt that many college students face today.

Charlie Waters, the founder of jungleSTEM and JSTEM Academy, actively supports Computer Science and STEM education by participating on the following boards:

• Middle Georgia State University – Department of Information Technology Advisory Board
• Georgia Destinations Career Academy – Georgia K12 Charter School

Additionally, his career invested 10 years with Peach County Schools, supporting operational and instructional technology, initially as a Technology Coordinator.  Charlie was promoted to Director of Technology where he led the high school’s technical implementation of NewTech STEM and Project-Based Learning, including a one-to-one laptop initiative and school technology transformation to support the learning environment.