Private STEM school in Jacksonville raising money for student scholarships

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A private STEM school in Jacksonville is raising money to give kids scholarships and other grants. The money raised will allow kids to attend the Minds of the Future Academy for little to no cost.

Kids in grades K-12 are a part of an interactive, hands-on learning environment at Minds of The Future Academy.

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“I lead the marching band,” said second grader Darryl Blackshear.

The private, STEM school, was opened in 2019, and they take around 100 students per year. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

“I find it very dear to me to be able to bring a non-traditional STEM education to students,” said Cynthia Smith, president of Minds of the Future Academy. “We offer robotics, we offer hip-hop dance, jazz, ballet, media production. We have a marching band.”

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A normal tuition for a student at the school is $8,000 per year, but with a little help from scholarships and grants, students in K-12 can go to school at no cost.

On February 23, the school will host its second annual fundraising gala. It’s designed to raise money to give kids scholarships. Click here for more information about the gala.

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Smith said her mission is to reach the community to help bring funds into the school, while continuing to support students and staff.

“We need to teach these children, you know to be prepared for their future,” Smith said.

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