Engineer, U.S. Veteran, educator, entrepreneur and mother Andria Sperry believes children gain benefits from starting to code early in life.
Sperry’s local Ann Arbor-based organization, The Future Innovators Academy (FIA) teaches coding and STEM/STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) topics to students as young as four years old.
“One reason why you should start at an early age is coding is a language, right? With all complicated topics, early exposure is really helpful for grasping complex topics,” Sperry said.
Sperry’s background is in mechanical and nuclear engineering, but she did not get her degrees until after her time in the military. She recalls that when she took certain STEM classes, she noticed that younger students were faster at understanding some topics than she was. Then she figured out that the students that were excelling had been exposed to STEM very early.
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“My experience has shown me the importance of introducing STEM topics early. Each time a student is exposed to a complex concept, it’s like laying another brick in the foundation of their understanding,” Sperry said. “The earlier and more frequently they encounter these concepts, the easier it becomes for them to truly grasp and thrive in the subject.”
Sperry added that young students can grasp complex material at an early age.
“I’m passionate about exposing kids to STEM, especially at a young age, because they can do it,” Sperry said.”They’re so smart, they can handle it. You don’t need to sugarcoat complex topics. You can break it down for them. There’s no need to gatekeep or delay teaching certain concepts until middle school.”
Experts agree with Sperry that exposure to coding early on in life can help develop an intuition for coding reasoning. Also, many parents want their children to learn STEM/STEAM because experts say these careers are in more demand, are higher paying and are more stable.
Sperry, founder and CEO of FIA, has a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering and a master’s in nuclear engineering. She has real-world engineering experience with NASA, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Northrup Grumman and KLA in Ann Arbor.
She has also taught actively as a mentor to kids in STEM and as a Girl Scout troop leader. She started a family and eventually realized she was unfulfilled in industry and became more interested in teaching.
“I started teaching when I was still working. [I started out] after work [and] on the weekends [teaching] about six students at Maker Works, here in Ann Arbor,” Sperry said. “It was very fulfilling, teaching these kids complex topics, watching their eyes light up. And then I realized very quickly that, wow, this could be its own business.”
In February 2023, she moved into her own facility, and in May 2023, she quit her engineering job. During the summer of 2023, she had about 300 students over 10 weeks for summer camps. Then came a successful fall session and winter session. Sperry was excited to share that FIA hosted over 600 unique students in 2024, many of whom were enrolled in more than one program.
“And now we’re busting at the seams, and we’re exploring the possibility of moving into another facility,” Sperry said. She added that, although a move is in the works, the students will continue to have an outstanding experience regardless of the changes.
She explained that they now have two full-time engineers who also help teach at Future Innovators and a handful of university students who work part-time.
“Our specialty is really just making sure we’re providing a space where kids can come in and can be hands-on,” Sperry said. “All of our programs are hands-on, project-based learning and we provide the opportunity for them to fail.”
Sperry said she always asks the students why she would want them to fail. And they always know it is because she wants them to learn. Traditional education might rely too much on teaching to a metric, while project-based learning, along with failure, connects more to innovation.
“We want to provide a space where you can explore learning and then come up with your own idea,” Sperry said. “We really encourage true innovation and creativity.”
Their current age range is 4 to 17 year-old students. Sperry said they typically start younger students with Lego robotics and icon coding and logic.
Sperry is actively building connections in the community and expanding opportunities for students to experience their programs.
“WCC (Washtenaw Community College) reached out, and they actually asked us to run their two-week summer camp for middle schoolers,” Sperry said. “So we’re going to be going to WCC and teaching middle schoolers, which is really exciting.”
FIA is also expanding its reach by partnering with local schools and organizations to offer afterschool programs, providing more students with access to STEM/STEAM education. Growing FIA has been a project of passion. “Our growth has been word of mouth, which is amazing because it builds a very strong community,” Sperry said.
FIA is all about sparking curiosity and creativity in students through hands-on, STEM/STEAM-focused programs. They offer a range of options, from year-round robotics, electronics, coding and 3D printing classes to seasonal workshops and summer camps.
Their programs are designed for students of all ages, starting with the younger crowd in their new STEAM Explorers program and progressing to more advanced topics like drone technology and First Tech Challenge (FTC) competitive robotics for older kids.
In addition to their core programs, they host camps during school breaks, birthday parties and even afterschool classes through Rec & Ed to keep the learning and fun going year-round. They take pride in creating an inclusive environment where kids learn technical skills and build confidence and teamwork.
To learn more, visit their website at thefutureinnovatorsacademy.com.