AlphaMinds Academy was founded in 2011 by Anna Novosyolok, a Hoboken-based mom with a deep passion for education, community, and helping children reach their full potential. What began as a small initiative to teach her own children Russian, Math, and Chess quickly blossomed into a thriving academic enrichment program serving hundreds of students each year—both online and in person.
Anna, who was born and raised in Ukraine, and her husband, who is originally from Latvia, wanted to pass their native Russian language on to their children. At the time, there were no programs in the Jersey City or Hoboken area offering Russian language classes for children. While on extended maternity leave from her corporate project management career, Anna decided to take matters into her own hands. She organized a few classes for her children and a small group of others from Russian-speaking families—offering instruction in Russian, as well as Math and Chess.
From the very beginning, the program struck a chord with local parents. As word spread, so did the demand. Within two years, AlphaMinds expanded to include Coding, Young Engineers, Reading, and Essay Writing programs. Local schools began inviting AlphaMinds to teach enrichment classes onsite. What started as a small homegrown project quickly became a vital part of the educational fabric of Hoboken and Jersey City.
Today, AlphaMinds Academy offers over 80 weekly classes—online and in-person—serving children from age 2 through 16. Its curriculum includes Chess, Mathematics (using the Singapore Math method), Logic, Reading, Essay Writing, Coding (Scratch, JavaScript, Python), Robotics, and Russian language. The Academy also hosts monthly chess tournaments, summer camps, and private lessons. And its original cohort of students—ages 4 to 8 back in 2011—are now in high school or college, with many going on to top academic institutions and even returning to AlphaMinds as teacher assistants.
What sets AlphaMinds apart is its team of dedicated educators. Most are certified teachers with years of classroom experience and advanced degrees in their subject areas. Reading instructors are trained in evidence-based methods like Orton-Gillingham, and coding classes are taught by professionals with real-world programming expertise. Across all subjects, the focus is on engaging students’ natural curiosity and building true confidence and skill through deep, joyful learning.
When the pandemic hit in 2020, AlphaMinds quickly pivoted to virtual learning. Anna is particularly proud of how her team transitioned even its youngest learners to engaging online classes—without sacrificing quality or connection. In the years since, the Academy has adopted a hybrid model, continuing to offer both virtual and in-person instruction to accommodate families’ varying needs.
AlphaMinds has also made it a mission to give back. In response to the war in Ukraine, the Academy created a free ESL program for newly arrived refugee children ages 12–16 and offered complimentary spots in its other classes to younger Ukrainian students. In collaboration with local nonprofit Ukrainian Jersey City, AlphaMinds has hosted donation drives and fundraising chess tournaments to support families affected by the war.
Fourteen years since its founding, AlphaMinds Academy remains a passion project at heart—one born out of love for family, community, and lifelong learning. Its impact is visible in the faces of the children who walk through its doors, in the testimonials from grateful parents, and in the achievements of the students who’ve grown up with the program.
For Anna Novosyolok, what began as a personal solution has become one of the greatest privileges of her life: building an educational home for families seeking academic challenge, cultural enrichment, and meaningful growth.