MENTAL FITNESS 21ST CENTURY LEARNING INC

Mental Fitness STEAM Academy was founded in 2015 by John Childs, a former 5th-grade teacher in Atlanta Public Schools who saw the need for safe, inspiring after-school learning spaces. Leaving the classroom, John invested his own resources to launch a program combining academic support with hands-on STEAM enrichment. In the early years, he self-funded facilities, materials, staff, and meals-often forgoing a salary-to ensure all children could participate regardless of family income.

Today, Mental Fitness serves over 150 students annually in Union City and Fairburn, GA, with daily caps of 37 after-school and 55 in summer. Students receive homework help, healthy meals, and engaging STEAM activities such as science experiments, LEGO engineering, coding, drones, robotics, and 3-D printing, along with character education in respect, kindness, and helpfulness.

Our mission is strengthened by partnerships with Waste Management Industries, Delta Community Credit Union, Plywood People, Chick-fil-A, and the City of Fairburn. Now celebrating 10 years of service, Mental Fitness remains a testament to what’s possible when commitment to community meets a vision for transformative education.