The Think Digital Academy story

The history of Think Digital Academy starts with Janessa Leita. A South African mother with an extensive and successful background in education, who owned a college that provided further education and training for 17 years. She founded her global virtual school, Think Digital Academy in her native country when her youngest son was diagnosed with Tourette’s syndrome.

Janessa, CEO of Think Digital Academy, together with her sons.

The beginning: Janessa Leita’s maternal love

As a parent, you always want what is best for your children. Janessa is a mother to three boys, and when her youngest son, Alessandro, was diagnosed with Tourette’s syndrome, she quickly realised that traditional schooling would not be suitable for her son, so in 2016 she founded and launched the virtual school, Think Digital Academy in South Africa. Her vision was to create an environment for Alessandro where he would feel safe and happy, but at the same time, have access to top-level educational content.

The family unit has since relocated to Florida in the USA, and they are immensely proud to announce that Alessandro has been accepted to Florida University of Technology to study Aerospace Engineering in 2021.

An alternative to traditional schooling

Online schooling allows for students to engage in their learning at their own pace in the comfort of their own home. When Janessa realised that depression and anxiety were common amongst those with Tourette’s, she knew right away that traditional schools were not going to be the best course of action for her son. This new virtual space that has been created for young people to learn, has allowed thousands of youths to both flourish and graduate from Think Digital Academy. And the number keeps growing.

Think Digital Academy goes global

Think Digital Academy (formerly known as Thing Digital College) was launched and founded in South Africa. A first of its kind in this country, leading the charge in economic development and infrastructure for the African continent.

When the pandemic COVID-19 hit, Think Digital was in the perfect position to accommodate all those students who still needed to continue learning while their traditional schools were clumsily trying to transition into online classes. As a result, the virtual school’s attendance exploded, and Think Digital Academy saw great success in South Africa.

But as we all know COVID-19 did not just hit South Africa, it has been a worldwide pandemic, impacting students all over the world. With Leita being an educator at heart, she expanded this successful online learning school worldwide.

Redefining online schooling

Janessa has built a successful online school using her experiences, hard work and innovation. The desire to continually evolve to provide world-class education to a younger population that is growing up in a technological revolutionary era, continues to focus her energies on improvements and expansion.

The company has already received a prestigious international award from the United Kingdom, that further affirms the success Think Digital is experiencing at the forefront of the transition of education.

Want to learn more about Think Digital Academy?

As an award-winning business, with the purpose to provide top-notch education in an ever-changing environment, Think Digital Academy publishes a blog called Think Tank that provides information to both parents and students offering them online learning tips and tactics.

You can subscribe to the Think Tank newsletter to receive updates in your inbox.