What an extraordinary moment for The Heights Foundation and for our entire Southwest Florida community.
After more than four years of dreaming, planning, fundraising and perseverance, we officially celebrated the opening of Heights CareerTech Institute with a ribbonicutting held in conjunction with the Greater Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce.
When we first began imagining this school, we were thinking about the young people we serve in Harlem Heights. More Heights students were graduating from high school than ever before, and we found ourselves asking an important question: What comes next?
We knew that a four-year college degree wasn’t the only path to a successful future. Southwest Florida desperately needs electricians, plumbers, HVAC technicians, welders, healthcare professionals and other skilled workers. At the same time, people throughout our community are looking for affordable training that can lead to good careers and financial independence.
Four and a half years ago, we decided vocational and technical education could help answer both needs.
Today, that vision is a reality.
Our beautiful new 63,500-square-foot campus represents a $50 million investment in career education and Southwest Florida’s workforce. That includes $42 million for the building and another $8 million for specialized equipment, operational funding and the purchase of adjacent property.
And while the idea grew out of our work in Harlem Heights, Heights CareerTech Institute is open to everyone. Students do not need to live in Harlem Heights. We welcome individuals from throughout Lee County and the surrounding region who are ready to learn a skill, build a career and create a better future.
Students are already walking through our doors, including our first class of aspiring electricians. Programs include Electrician, HVAC/R, Plumbing, Welding, Marine Service Technologies, Medical Assisting, Medical Coding and Billing, Nursing Assistant, Practical Nursing, Fundamentals of Food Service and Administrative Office Specialist.
Seeing the students in their classrooms and labs may be the most rewarding part of this entire journey.
None of this happened because of one person or one organization. It took an extraordinary community of people who believed in what we were trying to accomplish.
I am deeply grateful to our Heights Foundation Board of Directors; our Capital Campaign Steering Committee; Lee County Economic Development; our donors, foundations, businesses and government partners; RG Architects; and Owen-Ames-Kimball Co., which has now built three facilities for The Heights Foundation.
I also want to recognize two people who were instrumental in making this possible.
Dr. Deb Mathinos, our Chief Programs Officer, has had her hands in virtually every aspect of creating Heights CareerTech—from research and budgets to state requirements, industry partnerships, operations and hiring. Her commitment to doing work thoroughly and well, helped turn an enormous undertaking into the school we see today.
And Jim Pigott, who led our Capital Campaign Steering Committee, believed in this vision from the beginning and worked tirelessly to inspire others to believe in it as well. We simply would not be here without him.
There are so many others who deserve our gratitude, because a project of this magnitude truly does take a community.
Heights CareerTech Institute can serve more than 500 students each year. That means hundreds of people annually will have an opportunity to learn a skill, enter a high-demand profession, support themselves and their families, and contribute to the workforce our growing region needs.
That is what makes this moment so meaningful. We didn’t simply open a building. We opened doors to opportunity.
I cannot wait to see where those doors lead.
Kathryn Kelly
Founder, President & CEO
The Heights Foundation
To learn more or apply to Heights CareerTech Institute, visit heightscareertech.org or call 239-789-1642. The campus is located at 15295 Pine Ridge Road, Fort Myers, FL 33908.
