Welcome to Née’s World!
This is where the stories begin.
Ninja Née is on a mission to combine courage with curiosity, adventure with inquiry, and martial arts with science. Each challenge she faces helps her — and her fellow young learners — grow stronger, smarter, and more self-aware.
Who Is Ninja Née?
Née is a ninja-in-training with a curious mind, a fearless heart, and a not-so-secret obsession with science
By day, she’s an ordinary student — but her secret identity unlocks when she retreats to her favorite hidden corner of the town library.
Her hideout: A dusty back room stacked with old lab manuals, martial arts scrolls, and a glitchy AI-powered bookshelf scanner that might be alive.
Her town: A curious little place called Ingenuity, where strange things tend to happen… and usually need solving.
Her mentor: The brilliant and mysterious Professor Neuron — a retired scientist who once saved the world with a homemade quantum battery and a roll of duct tape. He now guides Née through weekly missions that blend physics, engineering, environmental science, and critical thinking.
Née doesn’t just want to be strong. She wants to understand.
When things go wrong, she doesn’t panic — she observes, questions, tests, and tries again. Whether it’s catching a fish with a leaf, defusing a bubble-powered battery, or tracing echoes through an abandoned tunnel, Ninja Née believes in science, strategy, and spirit.
She is also a great inspiration to her young cousin, Little Laurie, who lives a few towns away.
Why Story + Science?
At Ninja Née, we believe the best learning happens when kids become part of the story. Science isn’t just facts — it’s a way of thinking. And stories? They’re how we learn who we are, what we value, and how to grow.
Every mission in Née’s world is built around:
• A real science challenge
• A meaningful emotional obstacle
• And a chance to explore, fail safely, and try again
Whether it’s battling the laws of motion, decoding vibrations, or engineering with recycled trash, our adventures make science feel powerful, personal, and full of possibility.
Née’s Rules for Real Ninjas
1. Think before you leap
2. Fail fast, learn faster
3. Ask “What if…?” a lot
4. Help others succeed
5. Trust your brain and your gut
Meet the Mission Creators
Ninja Née is the brainchild of two passionate educators — one a scientist, one a specialist in child development — both on a mission to make science accessible, empowering, and seriously fun.
Together, they’ve crafted a world where young minds can explore STEM through storytelling, imagination, and hands-on discovery.
Renée Bandes
Renée is a certified Earth and Environmental Science teacher with over 20 years of experience teaching students from kindergarten to high school. She now serves as the Director of Science and Engineering Technology for a prominent Long Island school district. She’s also the author of the Little Laurie Science Stories series and believes deeply in helping kids see science in everyday life. Her vision for Ninja Née blends storytelling, inquiry, and empowerment.
Michael Evans
Michael is a child development specialist and co-owner of Vision Martial Arts in Patchogue, NY. With a background in early childhood education and science communication, he brings energy, empathy, and creativity to every Ninja Née lesson. He’s also the founder of Forgotten Skillz, an experiential learning project that helps learners of all ages reconnect with ancestral wisdom in order to guide more sustainable modern lives..
Ready for Your Mission?
Née’s always preparing for the next adventure — and now you can be part of it. Whether you’re a teacher, librarian, group leader, or just a fan of curiosity and courage, there’s a mission waiting for you.