Bright Minds Academy & Afterschool

More than a childcare organization, Bright Minds is a resource center for the community to learn, heal, love and create. It’s a special place. Here, the voices of children are centered, and they are met at their individual places of need.

Hundreds of children’s lives have been enriched by Bright Minds Academy since 2015. Founded by Toni Cook-Smith, educator and community leader, it began in her home as a safe place for children without options for care.

Since then, Bright Minds has grown into a transformational education center, providing trauma-informed care to quiet some of the storms in the lives of our children. Providing summer camp, before and after school tutoring, and child advocacy with the children’s schools, Bright Minds is a pillar of stability for the children, creating a ripple effect in an overlooked and under-funded community.

Limited resources have been stretched for Bright Minds. Many of our students are from single-parent households or homes that have extenuating needs. Toni often offers scholarships, but for Bright Minds to continue to thrive and meet the increasing demand of the community, it will need our support.

Bright Minds is a 501(c)3 non-profit. Over the next six months, we are building the necessary infrastructure to get ready to receive grants. Until then, we are relying on the cash donations of our networks to help fortify Bright Minds as an ever-present resource to the families who need it.

Please consider a cash donation today. The first $10,000 we raise will go directly toward:

Thank you for taking this opportunity to use your giving to directly touch the lives of those who need it most in North Carolina. We can’t do it without you!