Point Pleasant Business Stem+ Academy Needs Your Support

The new coronavirus has changed life for all of us. Local businesses have taken a huge economic hit, but communities are finding creative ways to support the establishments they know and love.

In an effort to help local businesses in our communities stay connected and succeed, Patch will shine a light on some of them through a series of Q&A articles during this time.

STEM+ Academy is one of the businesses in town facing struggles during the coronavirus. You can lend your support by reading more about the company, below, and by contacting them here.

Tell us about your business and its history in your town.

STEM+ Academy was founded in 2014 to provide high-quality, worthwhile, and affordable tutoring, test prep, instruction, and enrichment programs for the residents of Point Pleasant Beach, NJ, and neighboring communities.

We are a small, independent, student and family friendly learning center. Our strengths include the quality of our instructional and tutoring staff, our innovative programs and curricula, and the individual attention we give to each and every student. We also have an excellent record in helping prepare students for the SAT, ACT and other standardized tests.

We believe in educational excellence. We also believe that not only learning, but learning to learn, is an essential part of every child’s development … and that learning works best when it is engaging, interesting, and fun.

As our name conveys, a primary focus is STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) education. We have a particular interest in robotics and computer science and have helped pioneer the development of curricula in these areas for students in grades K to 8.

How has the new coronavirus impacted your business and its employees?

Due to the governor's mandate, we've had to close our Academy to in-person programs. However, We’ve been working to help respond to the current situation by developing a number of virtual programs for our students and their families. Our goal first is to help meet the need for new activities at home that let your kids stay engaged in STEM learning while also letting them connect with friends and other like-minded students in a kind of virtual playdate.

Once things open back up, we will transition back to in-person classes and sessions at our center.

How can local customers support you now and in the future?

Families, now far and wide, can register their children for our virtual STEM enrichment and team programs. In addition, families with high school students in need of academic assistance, can contact us for virtual tutoring. Gift certificates are available to purchase on line and can be used for any of our programs.

Do you have any words of encouragement for your community?

We miss all our families and their children. Everyone has been impacted in every way by this pandemic but with support and encouragement, we can all successfully weather this and come out stronger than before.

Are you offering any special services, promotions or hours during this time?

Our new virtual offerings will also let us keep the continuity in various of our programs, especially chess and robotics. We are very pleased with the progress of our students on both our chess and robotics teams and want to ensure that both returning and new students have the opportunity to continue to develop their skills and knowledge this spring.

Are there any other outstanding businesses in town you think deserve some community support?

All of my small businesses in town are outstanding and hopefully they will all return once this crisis is over!

Do you own a local business in need of a feature on Patch? Fill out the questions in this form for consideration. Or, check out Patch's full list of resources for small businesses during the coronavirus crisis.

Thank you, and stay safe!