TechCayman Education: 2025 Year in Review.

2025 marked one of TechCayman’s most impactful years in education. Through early STEM outreach, robotics camps, programming workshops, teacher training, mentoring and international learning opportunities, more young Caymanians gained meaningful exposure to technology than ever before. These efforts move us closer to TechCayman’s founding vision of creating opportunities for future generations and supporting multi-generational growth in an innovation-led economy. Cayman’s emerging tech talent is no longer watching the ecosystem evolve around them. They are actively participating in it.

Our education pathway begins long before a student writes their first line of code. Each year, TechCayman introduces STEM concepts to children as young as aged 5 through school fairs, classroom demonstrations and career day engagements. These early touchpoints spark curiosity and normalise technology as something young Caymanians can see themselves pursuing.

In 2025, our awareness efforts expanded further, with participation in 15 school-based career and science fairs and forums. These engagements reached thousands of students and parents, helping to build confidence, familiarity and the belief that technology is both accessible and achievable.

Once students reach age 11, they become eligible for TechCayman’s monthly robotics camps. For many, this is the moment when curiosity becomes capability.

Across these camps, students from 19 schools learned the fundamentals of engineering, problem solving and programming. Many arrived with no prior experience and most left with a deeper sense of confidence and a desire to continue their STEM journey.

Robotics continues to grow meaningfully in Cayman Brac as well. Since 2020, TechCayman has supported recurring Brac camps and in 2022 donated a full suite of VEX IQ robotics kits and equipment to Layman Scott High School. The school used this equipment to launch a weekly robotics club. In 2025, several of these Brac students joined our camps as student leaders, guiding first time participants with a level of skill and confidence that reflected their ongoing engagement.

This progression is one of the clearest signs that our pathway is working. A sustainable tech ecosystem grows when students learn, return and then pass their skills on to others.

For many robotics camp graduates, the natural next step is Hackerspace, our weekly programming workshop. In 2025, we saw our strongest year yet.

Here, students explore Python, web development, digital art, electronics and personal projects with the support of experienced mentors. Hackerspace gives students structure when they are motivated, guidance when they are stuck and a community when they need encouragement.

Many participants used Hackerspace to prepare their science fair projects, with several going on to earn recognition. Others used the sessions to strengthen their school coursework or to explore emerging technologies. Increasingly, Hackerspace becomes a bridge to longer term mentoring and sustained engagement with technology.

By the end of 2025, Education Manager Philip Liu maintained active mentoring relationships with 14 students across secondary school and university. These relationships support programming coursework, project development, career exploration and preparation for academic or professional pathways. For many students, this ongoing support is the moment they begin to believe that a career in technology is not just possible but attainable.

This year also continued a legacy that sits at the heart of our mission. The Gene Thompson Computer Science Award recognises high school students who excel in STEM and show a strong commitment to innovation. The late Gene Thompson championed early education and played a central role in expanding our programmes to Cayman Brac, ensuring young people across the Islands could be inspired by technology. Today, the award honours that commitment. To date, TechCayman has collaborated with 9 schools including all government secondary schools and UCCI (University College of the Cayman Islands), presenting 23 awards, 8 of them in 2025. Gene understood that true success means ensuring the next generation does not simply participate in the future, they help create it, and his legacy continues through the students who follow this path.

A sustainable tech ecosystem requires confident educators as well as curious students. In 2025, TechCayman expanded delivery of Code.org professional development sessions to Marie Martin Primary, as well as initiating the process at Lighthouse School. To date, we have hosted Code.org training at several government schools across the Cayman Islands.

Teacher surveys from our Code.org training sessions indicated full adoption, with most teachers using the platform weekly or biweekly. 64% of teachers reported increased student engagement and enthusiasm for coding after introducing the tool. When computer science becomes part of everyday learning rather than an extracurricular activity, access becomes universal. This remains one of the most meaningful long-term investments in Cayman’s talent pipeline.

Career readiness remains a cornerstone of our work. Throughout 2025, TechCayman facilitated mock interview sessions at every government secondary school including CIFEC (Cayman Islands Further Education Centre) and delivered classroom presentations to more than 200 students at John Gray High School. Our participation in career fairs across Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac ensured that students at every stage had access to practical guidance and exposure to real roles in technology.

We also continued to support transitions into the workplace. PeerIslands, one of TechCayman’s Sponsored Enterprises, offered 4 paid internships to UCCI Computer Science students. These experiences help bridge the gap between academic learning and practical application and provide Caymanian students with valuable opportunities in globally focused teams.

Lilian Jackson-Ebanks: From ICCI to Silicon Valley
With sponsorship from TechCayman, ICCI student Lilian Jackson Ebanks travelled to Silicon Valley for an intensive AI and business seminar. The programme included sessions at leading institutions such as Stanford University’s AI Lab. Experiences like this expand horizons and give Caymanian students a global frame of reference as they consider their future pathways. Read more about Lilian’s experience HERE.

TJ: From Camp Participant to Mentor to Studying Abroad
Teejhan Hansraj began his journey at TechCayman’s robotics camp and progressed into Hackerspace where he developed advanced programming skills. In 2025, he became a mentor in our camps and supported other youth programmes including the TechKYouth Conference and Hackathon. He is now studying computer science abroad. His story reflects the long-term impact that early exposure, structured support and community can have on aspirations and achievement. Read more about TJ’s story HERE.

Cayman’s tech sector cannot grow without investing in its people. Early exposure, accessible programmes and consistent mentorship create a pipeline that reduces barriers and builds belief. Our programmes remain fully sponsored so that opportunity is based on potential, not means. Many of our students now present at science fairs, volunteer with younger learners, secure internships or pursue STEM studies at tertiary level. The pipeline is real and it is strengthening each year.

This progress would not be possible without the support of 19 volunteer mentors who contributed their time and expertise throughout 2025. Their involvement demonstrates how community driven development shapes Cayman’s long-term workforce. As we look to 2026, we welcome individuals and companies who wish to support this mission whether through volunteering, hosting student sessions, partnering with schools or offering internships. Every contribution makes a meaningful difference.

For more details or to get involved, contact [email protected].