Dr. Cynthia Smith Builds A K-12 STEM School And It’s Tuition Free

Dr. Cynthia Smith is expanding access to STEM education and workforce training for students in Jacksonville, Florida, in the East Side neighborhood where she grew up , Afrotech reports. Minds of the Future Academy, the tuition-free private K-12 STEM school Smith founded, became fully accredited July 17, according to the outlet. The milestone comes nearly a decade after Smith, a lifelong educator who spent 16 years in the public school system, launched the academy as a for-profit preschool in 2016. In 2019, Smith expanded her vision into a K-12 school operating under the nonprofit Minds of the Future Foundation. The organization receives funding through Step Up For Students to help cover attendance costs. “It was a big deal for me to open my school, my vision, in an area in which I grew up because I knew that I would be fully supported,” Smith told the outlet. Smith said her goal was to give children access to specialized educational opportunities without the financial and admissions barriers families can encounter at other schools. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Cynthia Smith (@drsmithjax904) In October 2025, Smith purchased a 28,000-square-foot facility, bringing the academy’s operations under one roof. The campus includes computer and STEM labs, podcasting and media production facilities, and a makerspace where students can design clothing. Career preparation is also central to the curriculum. Students in kindergarten through fifth grade can …