Engineering For Kids: Inspiring The Next Generation of Engineers

Engineering For Kids brings science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), to kids ages 4 to 14 in a fun and challenging way through classes, camps, clubs, and parties. We are proud to inspire children to build on their natural curiosity by teaching engineering concepts through hands-on learning. Engineering is, after all, one of the fastest growing industries in the world!

Engineering For Kids: Inspiring the Next Generation of Engineers from Engineering For Kids

Engineering For Kids has announced it's 100th Franchise!

Engineering For Kids has announced it's 100th franchise and could not be more proud. Their enthusiasm for STEM Education has spread across the nation and even to a few other countries! Check out the article below from franchising.com.

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Fredericksburg, VA (PRWEB) May 19, 2014 - Engineering For Kids, the beloved science, technology, engineering, and math program, is excited to announce that the company has awarded its 100th franchise. The newest franchise, located in Lakeland, Florida, marks an achievement that has surpassed the expectations set by CEO Dori Roberts, "This has been an amazing accomplishment that was unexpected in less than three years of franchising. We are very proud of our franchisees who are inspiring the next generation of engineers." Engineering For Kids is now inspiring in 26 states and 9 different countries. 

Founded in July of 2009, Engineering For Kids first began offering its programs to young engineers in Northern Virginia. Dori Roberts decided that the best way to inspire the next generation on a global scale was through the franchise platform. The first Engineering For Kids franchise was awarded in December of 2011 and the 100th agreement was signed in April 2014. In 2013, Engineering For Kids increased system sales by 351.3%. With ever-increasing revenues, Engineering For Kids is excited to expand into new regions and inspire the next generation of engineers all over the world.

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Engineering For Kids featured on 2 KASA This Morning

Engineering For Kids of New Mexico franchisee, Michael Cumbo, was featured on 2 KASA This Morning, Albuquerque. The segment shows Michael talking about Engineering For Kids can offer, as well as the importance of getting more girls involved and interested in STEM education. 

Click here to view the segment or view below: 

Engineering For Kids in The News-Herald

Engineering For Kids has been featured in The News-Herald in an article titled, "STEM franchisee looks to partner with area schools." The article talks about how Alyssa Choraszewski, who covers the Dearborn and Downriver areas, is interested in bringing engineering education to local schools. Click here for the entire article or begin below.

STEM franchisee looks to partner with area schools
By: Laura Zoochi 

While the headquarters of Engineering for Kids might be in Virginia, a franchisee is interested in bringing after-school engineering education to students in the Downriver and Dearborn areas.

Alyssa Choraszewski said her Farmington-based franchise business focuses on Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, or STEM, education. She said it focuses mainly on engineering because a lot of STEM programs only put a focus on math and science.

The program is for children ages 4 to 14 and involves a series of after-school programs including workshops, parties and assemblies. The educational learning is divided by ages 4 to 6 and 7 to 14.

(Read More) 

Engineering For Kids Featured in Phoenix Business Journal

Engineering For Kids featured in Phoenix Business Journal  in an article titled, "Engineering education franchise company landing in East Valley." The article also talks about how Engineering for Kids is looking to help bridge the gap between what students are learning and how that can apply to real life. In addition, it talks about how Ron Hoagland always wanted to run his own business and bring something valuable to the community. Furthermore, the article talks about how all of the Engineering for Kids programs meet national standards for STEM education and are aligned with Arizona’s common core standards. Click here for the entire article or begin below.

Engineering education franchise company landing in East Valley
By: Angela Gonzales 

Engineering for Kids — a Virginia education franchising company — has expanded into the Phoenix area.

The Fredericksburg, Va.-based company offers science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM programs to children ages four through 14 via classes, camps, clubs and parties.

Ron Hoagland, the program director for East Valley Engineering for Kids, said his franchise territory covers several parts of the East Valley, including Ahwatukee, Tempe, Chandler, Scottsdale and Paradise Valley.

“Kids in general are naturally curious how things work,” Hoagland said. “A lot of times they don’t really understand that math and science are a part of that.”

(Read More) 

Engineering For Kids on Daily Worth

Engineering For Kids on Daily Worth in an article titled, "How We Turned Our Passions Into Profits." The article is a compilation of stories from women who turned their passion into a business. Dori is the third woman featured and talks about how Dori founded Engineering For Kids, details about the business, and how Dori continues to stay passionate about providing STEM education to the next generation of engineers.  Click here for the entire article or begin below.

How We Turned Our Passions Into Profits

By: Nancy Mann Jackson

Dori Roberts, 39, Stafford, Va.

Her passion: A mother and a teacher, Dori Roberts is passionate about education — specifically, science, technology, engineering and math, also known as STEM subjects. Frustrated about the lack of STEM education available for her students and her ownchildren, Roberts started an after-school club to give them more exposure to math, science and engineering.

Turning it into a business: The after-school STEM club was so popular and grew so much that Roberts turned it into a business in 2009. Engineering for Kids provides enrichment programs to children ages 4 to 14 through preschool programs, after-school classes, workshops, in school field trips and birthday parties. Children learn engineering concepts and problem solving through hands-on activities such as LEGO robotics, designing and building rockets and developing their own electronic games.

Finding success: After starting with one location in Stafford, Va., Roberts has built the business into 84 franchised locations across the country.

Maintaining the passion: “The children inspire me,” Roberts says. “I am always looking for new ways to inspire the next generation ofengineers. This is where my passion comes from.”

(Read More)

Engineering For Kids launches Structures We Love Contest!

Send us photos of you and monuments, bridges, or landscapes from your travels into our Structures We Love contest here: http://bit.ly/EFKLove! Enter to win this and more: http://bit.ly/184IHSL

Franchisee Spotlight: Javier Garay

Javier Garay, 34 years old, was born in Puerto Rico and moved to New Orleans when he was seven and had to go through the first part of his schooling without speaking English, something he recalls vividly. His father was a chemical engineer at Dow Chemical and he also has an older brother and younger sister. Javier went to Harvard University majoring in economics (older brother also went to Harvard and younger sister went to Yale) and took a job with Merrill Lynch as a hedge fund trader. After six years, Javier decided to go to business school and went to the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, earning an MBA in entrepreneurship. Most recently, Javier worked with Stevens Capital Management until the fourth quarter of 2012 before deciding to make a move to pursue something on his own. Despite his great successes, he wanted to cultivate his passion for children and learning, so he reached out to Dori Roberts, owner of Engineering For Kids.

The idea to start an Engineering for Kids franchise came to him in 2011 when his oldest son turned two and received a flashlight for his birthday. As his son played with the flashlight, discovering all of its parts, the link between engineering and education dawned on him. He fondly calls this the “flashlight incident.” Javier understands that children are natural born engineers who have unlimited imaginations and unbridled enthusiasm. He is passionate about helping children tap into their potential by exposing them to the role that engineers play in our daily lives. Javier speaks fluent Spanish, has been married for nine years and has three children.

How did you learn about the brand? I was looking online for entrepreneurial ideas that I could do with my son and came across the organization.

Why did you choose an opportunity with Engineering For Kids? It really was the flashlight incident. It was a moment that made me think, “Alright let’s go find something.” And when I found EFK and discovered it was a franchise, it was a good fit for me.

I am currently teaching at The Shipley School in Bryn Mawr, PA and have secured space there in July for summer camps.  I will also be holding camps this summer at the Horsham Township Community Center in July and August. Long-term, I am planning to place registration on my EFK website and expand to other schools, libraries and community centers in my territory. There are well over 200 schools in my area and I hope to be able to service all of them. I currently teach on Mondays and Thursdays and I am making the preparations for summer camps this summer.

Are you involved with any charities or do any community outreach with your business? I am just getting underway, but I did meet with the head of the local township chamber of commerce.  I also hope to get involved with the local rotary club and was invited over there for weekly meetings. Getting more involved with the community is one of my next goals.

What challenges have you overcome to get where you are now? The biggest hurdle for me has been taking that leap and being self-employed after having a successful career on Wall Street for so many years. With a relatively young family it was definitely a tough decision, but luckily my wife and I have been able to make it work as she remains employed as well.

Do you have any other interesting hobbies or passions? All of my waking hours are spent being a dad, but I love spending time with my family. I’m also an avid traveler and have been to over 35 countries in my life, not near as high as my wife who has been to over 50 countries.

Engineering for Kids featured in the Anne Arundel Patch.

Engineering for Kids was recently featured in the Anne Arundel Patch in an article titled, "Young Engineers Building Sky-High Futures".

The article details Lauren Rakvic’s new Engineering for Kids business in Anne Arundel County, the brands concept, and how it helps and effects local students in the STEM fields. The article also features a video in which Rakvic discusses the weekly activities of the classes. The children talk about what they've been learning and the careers they've been inspired to reach for. 

Click HERE for the full article or begin reading below:

Young Engineers Building Sky-High Futures

By: Brian Hooks

A program called Engineering for Kids is helping young people apply their math and science knowledge to fun educational projects.

Abby Reed is wrapping up second grade this week, but she already has hopes to get into the same line of work as her dad.

When asked about where she might like to work, she smiled at her dad.

"Um, maybe NASA," she said.

Engineering for Kids Featured in The Capital Gazette

Engineering for Kids was recently featured in The Capital Gazette in an article titled, "Young engineers: New Anne Arundel businesses target math, science education". 

Lauren Rakvic discussed her background, and why she specifically wanted to bring the brand to the area. She also discussed how her new business is focusing on getting students in the science, technology and engineering fields, and her development plans for the Anne Arundel County area. Engineering for Kids founder Dori Roberts also discussed her background, the Engineering for Kids concept, and the development plans for the Anne Arundel County area.

Click HERE for the full article or begin reading below:

Young engineers: New Anne Arundel businesses target math, science education

By: Shantee Woodards

Julie Grignon noticed her sons’ early interest in building things, and she hoped it would lead to a career in engineering.

But her boys are 9 and 5, so she thought he best thing she could do was sign them up for a program that banked on these skills. So the older Matteo and younger Luca will spend the summer playing with LEGOs at a new business that offers summer camps and programs geared toward Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

“Both of them love LEGOs and love building,” said Grignon, an Arnold resident. “This is a great opportunity for them to explore and explore the scientific concepts around building.”

Engineering for Kids Featured in Franchise Times

Engineering for Kids was featured in the Franchise Times in an article titled, "Ratcheting Up". 

The article gives the history of founder Dori Roberts and her epiphany to start an engineering program for young kids when she was unable to find one for her own children to join. Highlighting EFK's fast rise in success, the feature touches upon the emphasis to include young girls in engineering from an early age, and nurturing child's natural engineering interest. The article also discusses franchising opportunities and costs for those interested in being a part of the increasing importance of STEM education for youth. 

Click HERE for the full article or begin reading below:

Ratcheting Up

With tech jobs rising, Engineering for Kids sees opportunity

By: Jeffrey McKinney

One entrepreneur is banking on the nationwide focus on science and technology education to grow her franchise system, Engineering for Kids. Will its head start last long enough to gain traction?

After witnessing a “great spark” in her young children as they watched students clash in an engineering competition a few years ago, Dori Roberts had a business epiphany. She started Engineering for Kids, and now her franchise is poised to take off along with rising interest in STEM education, otherwise known as science, technology, engineering and math.

A former high school engineering  and technology teacher for 11 years, Roberts knew her then 8-year-old daughter and 6-year-old son were amazed with what the students were doing and wanted join in the competition. But she couldn’t find any programs for their age group. That void prompted Roberts to create Engineering for Kids. But she also had another inspiration to launch EFK in 2009. After she left teaching, she built an after-school engineering club that grew from eight to 180 students. Fast-forward five years: Roberts’ daughter now wants to be an architect and her son an engineer.  

Ready to Rock-et!

Engineering for Kids has just launched a new contest in which kids (and kids at heart) are asked to channel their inner engineers to create a model rocket that's out of this world! The competition is called "Ready to Rocket" and will be taking photo submissions through the month of March.

Each entrant will receive an EFK t-shirt and their photos will be posted on the EFK Facebook page for a three-week voting process. The entry with the top votes will win its engineer a LEGO Mindstorms NXT 2.0, a computer programmable robot that transforms into 4 different modules.

The contest comes at the perfect time of year, when students on Spring Break will have an amazing project to work on and a prize to work towards. We're very excited to see what our fans come up with.

To LIKE the Facebook page and enter the contest, click HERE and be sure to share the news with the young engineers in your life.