St. Teresa's Academy was founded in 1866 at 12th and Washington in Kansas City's Quality Hill area and is sponsored by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet.

On the cornerstone of the first campus building the Sisters inscribed the words of St. Teresa of Avila and the motto of the academy, "Deo Adjuvante Non Timendum" (Latin: With the help of God, we need not fear).

This money was used to renovate the Goppert Center, where a new campus ministry office, library, robotics lab, gymnasium, and weight-training room were added.

The academy fields athletic teams in basketball, soccer, volleyball, cross country, golf, track, softball, swimming, tennis, dance and lacrosse.

The Stars compete in the largest class of MSHSAA sports; most recently playing for district championships in soccer, basketball, golf, tennis, cross country and volleyball.