St. Louis Academy Teaches Kids Advanced STEM Skills

The local program provides young students with hands-on training in robotics, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence.

Updated on Sept. 29, 2026 in Homeschooling

Bold vector editorial illustration of a colorful modular robotic hand on a wooden table, representing accessible STEM education for children. — Ellie's FutureMinds Academy in St. Louis offers children affordable instruction in robotics and AI, aiming to lower barriers to early high-tech education. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Ellie's FutureMinds Academy in St. Louis offers children instruction in fields like coding and web development. Founders Jason and Domonique Henderson designed the program to make high-tech education accessible to more families.

Why it matters

The academy seeks to lower the cost barrier for families looking to provide their children with early exposure to competitive technology skills.

In-person programming takes place at 1900 A Willing Vessel COGIC. The curriculum spans multiple technical disciplines including robotics, artificial intelligence, and game development.

The players

Jason Henderson

Jason Henderson is a co-founder of Ellie's FutureMinds Academy who launched the program to broaden local access to STEM instruction.

Domonique Henderson

Domonique Henderson co-founded the St. Louis-based academy to provide children with essential training in modern technology fields.

The details

Ellie's FutureMinds Academy combines online learning modules with weekly in-person sessions to teach students cybersecurity and AI fundamentals. The platform features a specialized AI companion named Ellie, which uses a sandboxed environment to monitor for harmful or illegal activity while alerting parents.

In-person STEM programming for the academy occurs on Saturdays.

Culture Shift

This academy reflects a broader movement where community-based organizations are filling gaps in K-12 STEM education by providing specialized technical training outside the traditional classroom. It signals a shift toward democratizing access to high-demand skills like AI and cybersecurity.

Families in St. Louis can utilize these Saturday sessions to help their children gain practical experience with robotics and coding in a monitored, safe digital environment. The academy also offers future opportunities for students as it works toward establishing formal accreditation and mobile access.

The takeaway

Early exposure to technical fields helps prepare students for future careers in a rapidly evolving digital economy. Parents can integrate these types of specialized programs into their children's weekly schedules to bolster foundational skills.