A bit more about us

A Learning Bee Academy began with one mom’s vision. In 2017, founder and president D. Thompson was home with her newborn son and fell in love with those early months of learning and curiosity, so she created a small program with just five neighborhood families in a church space. Word spread quickly as parents saw their children thriving through hands-on STEM play, strong relationships with teachers, and meaningful themes rooted in the real world. What started as a tiny community effort grew into a trusted early learning academy serving hundreds of children across multiple sites in churches and schools, while staying family-focused and affordable. With support from partners such as the IAAQLI alliance, the Academy expanded its capacity. It reached more families without changing the heart of its mission: giving young children, especially African-American children, a joyful STEM foundation and the social-emotional skills to succeed in school and beyond.