Masterminds Academy is a Science and STEM in-house field trip program that teaches students in grades Pre K-5 applied engineering and explore science topics using engaging hands on experiments.
The Georgia Department of Education is dedicated to preparing students for 21st Century workplace careers by providing high quality educational opportunities in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics fields. In Georgia, STEM and STEAM education is an integrated curriculum that is driven by exploratory project-based learning and student-centered development of ideas and solutions.
Our programs are designed to meet Georgia Standards of Excellence (GSE). We provide comprehensive STEM and science curriculum that encourages collaboration, creativity, and problem solving.
Beliefs
At Masterminds Academy we aim to inspire the scientist, technologist, engineer, mathematician, and all other innovators of the future. We provide a learning experience that is fun, encouraging, engaging, empowering, and educational in which will ensure that our students thrive in this fast paced ever evolving world. We provide opportunities for students to:
Think Scientifically
Understand the applications and implications of science
Communicate and collaborate in science
Use investigative approaches
Work critically with evidence
Meet our Founder
Cristal Barnwell (Founder & CEO)
At a young age, Cristal had a love for children and a desire to teach. As a freshman in college, she knew right away that teaching was the profession for her. She graduated in 2006 with a BA in Early Childhood Education from Clark Atlanta University and has over 13 years of classroom experience. Along with being a classroom teacher, she has served as an Academic Coach, and had the privilege of working at a STEM certified school.
Her passion and drive for education continues today. During her time teaching, she spent most of her years as a math and science teacher. She began to prefer math and science and developed a high interest in STEM education. After her son entered pre-k, and begin to develop a love for experiential learning, she decided to leave her teaching career and focus on creating a learning environment for other children who shared the same learning experience as her son. The results were Masterminds Academy.
In 2017 she began to create Saturday science and STEM events for children in her community that provided an opportunity to expose kids to the amazing world of science at an early age. In 2019, she decides to branch out as a STEM consultant to offer school leaders
She lives in Atlanta with her husband and two children. As a family they enjoy spending time exploring the world and how it works.
