Welcome to the STEM For Kids World!
We are all about making Science, Technology, Engineering and Math fun and real for children.
We are the birthplace of STEM For Kids®, now an international brand winning accolades and recognition in entrepreneurial circles.
OUR STORY
THE BIRTH
Our story started one hot Raleigh summer in 2011. To escape from the Sun, my kids and I decided to play indoors. You see, my busy corporate life laced with frequent travel had inspired my rising 1st grade daughter to draw pictures of the family with mom always working ☹.
I was determined to change that! That day, we were using a piece of paper to make a bridge across two paper cups. The first design couldn't even hold one pencil. We kept working on it until they came to a design where that same single piece of paper could now hold 20 pencils and it was still holding strong! Their eyes lit up and they were totally amazed.
The sparkle in their eyes has stayed with me since. That 'Aha' moment ... they made a meaningful connection with learning. Little did I know that these were the seeds of something big!
Inspired, we stayed very creative that summer... we were "engineering fun with math and science". Those playful experiences became our first Civil Engineering program. STEM For Kids was born. Along with the name, came our EngineerSTEM, the embodiment of what we felt that summer - an integrated STEM with real life skills. Kids, mine and others’, just loved EngineerSTEM.
As for me - I had discovered the new me, Ms. STEM for the children so energized by the fields of science, technology, engineering and math.
Engineer STEM
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The Toddler Years!
The initial feedback from parents, children, teachers and schools were positive and we continued. We worked hard and played even harder to add new programs– Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering… Our team grew and our programming line-up grew.
A year later, my son, who was then a 3rd grader, came to me with a business proposition that I could not decline: "buy me a robotics kit and I will help you develop a curriculum for robotics". We are STEM For Kids and Kids rule in our world! I couldn't say no.
His playful explorations generated new ideas. He teamed up with one of our best STEM Coaches and our robotics curriculum took shape.
I went back to my own bases as a computer science engineer to add Taste of Computer Science to our line-up. Our work was starting to getting noticed beyond the triangle region. We began serving schools and students in other parts of North Carolina and also out of the state.
My third baby, STEM For Kids, was growing alongside my awesome two children. It was time to begin a formal approach towards growth and expansion.
Our Growth
We were receiving interest from all around the world. That's when I decided to franchise the STEM For Kids business model. Today we are in 5 states in the US and in 2 countries. And we have just begun! A long exciting journey is ahead of us.
Simplicity, I found, is the key when engaging with children and to keep our team focused. Our mission “ Making STEM fun and real ” does just that. While we have grown from that one curriculum to 20+ and multiple locations across US, our core remains focusing on simplicity… taking complex real life applications and challenges and making them a child’s play is what we do best.
I feel so blessed to have an awesome team, a team that continuously strives to live The STEM WayTM and to create the best possible experiences for children, parents and all stakeholders.
As I think about the future of STEM For Kids, I always remember YOU! The parents, children, teachers, principals and this wonderful community. You embraced us, encouraged us and gave us the strong foundation to propel ahead.
