Cameron Academy opens free real estate classes for Florida teens and people starting over

Cameron Academy of Real Estate is offering free licensing coursework to Florida students ages 15 to 17, plus survivors of domestic violence and people rebuilding after incarceration. The Orlando-based school says the program helps widen access to a license, financial literacy and a path back into the workforce.

Why it matters: - Cameron Academy is using free real estate coursework as an access point for Florida teens and adults who may not otherwise afford training. - The school says the program can help people gain job credentials, financial literacy and a faster route back into work. - Florida requires a personal financial literacy course for students who entered ninth grade in 2023, making housing and credit education more relevant earlier.

What happened: - Cameron Academy of Real Estate is offering its Florida real estate pre-license coursework free to students ages 15 to 17. - The school is also providing no-cost seats for survivors of domestic violence and for people rebuilding after incarceration. - The Orlando-based school has offered the free seats quietly for years, and owner and director Michael Cameron Sidawi is now publicizing the program. - Sidawi became owner and director in January 2013.

The details: - Florida students ages 15 to 17 take the same 63-hour real estate course that adults pay for. - The course is available at any Cameron Academy campus or online. - People using the no-cost seats are not required to tell their story to qualify. - Florida real estate applicants must be 18 to hold a license, and the state exam is the same for everyone. - Cameron Academy says the coursework is not a reduced version for free students. - The school says its teaching method uses songs, rhythms, repeated phrasing and stories to help students retain material. - Cameron Academy educators also produced the first Spanish-language version of the Florida real estate pre-license course. - The school says more than 100,000 students have gone through its 800-plus licensing and continuing education courses. - Cameron Academy now has 15 campuses spanning roughly 380 miles. - The school says it employs 35 people. - Cameron Academy has been family owned since Linda Cameron founded it in 2003. - The school has been licensed by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation under permit ZH1002075 since June 9, 2003. - Michael Cameron Sidawi is a licensed Florida real estate broker with broker license BK3198873 and instructor license ZH1002785. - The school says it holds a 5-star average across more than 3,000 reviews on platforms including Google and Yelp. - Cameron Academy says more than 150 student testimonials have been filmed in its classrooms and published. - The company says it was among the first real estate schools in Florida and the U.S. to move testing onto computers. - Cameron Academy says it launched the first mobile exam-prep app for real estate students in the United States in 2013. - The school says it was first in Florida to livestream classes. - Cameron Academy says the app is now being rebuilt as the base of a wider student platform. - The school says its partner network offers courses in all 50 states. - Cameron Academy says 18 instructors were hired statewide this year. - The school says it turned down an acquisition approach from a national education company and is not for sale. - Cameron Academy says its main office is at 7009 Dr. Phillips Blvd., Suite 110A, Orlando, FL 32819, and its phone number is (407) 251-0051.

Between the lines: - Sidawi frames the free seats as both social impact and business strategy, saying many recipients later become paying clients, brokers or referral sources. - The school’s teen program appears aimed at basic housing and money knowledge rather than recruiting future agents. - Cameron Academy’s long emphasis on digital tools and alternative teaching methods suggests it sees access and retention as competitive advantages. - Florida’s release of 25,990 people from state prison in fiscal 2024-25 underscores the scale of the re-entry population the school is trying to reach.

What's next: - Cameron Academy says parents, school administrators and organizations that work with re-entry populations can contact the school to arrange seats. - Sidawi wants the teen course in the public school system. - The school says its rebuilt app will become a broader student platform. - Cameron Academy says it is open to conversations with brokerages, title agencies and law firms about new-market partnerships in Florida and beyond.

The bottom line: - Cameron Academy is turning a licensing class into a free on-ramp for teens and people rebuilding their lives, betting that access to real estate education can create both opportunity and long-term business growth.