Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education is one of the most trending topics in the academic field. Schools are looking for different ways to integrate STEM programs into their curriculum, making it one of their top priorities.
Engineering For Kids, a Fredericksburg, Virginia-based franchise offers a range of learning-based classes which includes after school programs, camps, evening classes, in-school field trips, workshops and even birthday parties! Not only do they focus on teaching engineering skills to young children, but also highlight the potential success the children can have in engineering fields in the future.
GineersNow got the chance to interview Dori Roberts, the founder and CEO of Engineering For Kids.
The Person
My name is Dori Roberts, and I’m the founder and C.E.O. of Engineering For Kids. While I was born in Texas, I have lived in Northern Virginia since the age of fourteen and call it home. I was the middle of three siblings growing up, and I was very much a hands on kid. I always got satisfaction out of fixing things and putting things together. I remember helping my friends when they needed their bikes repaired or when my mom needed help repairing her sewing machine. My Mother was a stay at home Mom, and my father is an entrepreneur, owning several businesses in the field of construction.
I am married to an attorney and have two kids, ages thirteen and fifteen. My kids mean so much to me, and their passion for engineering helped inspire me to start Engineering For Kids. My son, Matthew wants to be a software engineer and loves our EFK Electronic Game Design, Robotics, and Minecraft camps. He is also a sports fan and has been playing baseball since the age of 4. My daughter loves science, specifically Biology and wants to combine her love of science and animals and someday be a large animal vet. She spends her free time riding horses and volunteering at a local Therapeutic Riding Program. As a family, we love family game nights, watching Survivor, going to sporting events and supporting our local Washington DC teams!
The Project
Prior to starting Engineering For Kids, I taught math, science, and engineering courses for eleven years. I earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Math and Science Elementary/Middle School Education in 1997 and a Master of Science degree in Technology Education in 2000.
While teaching at a local high school in Virginia, I began gathering students each year to compete in events in technology and engineering at the local, state, and national level. In 2007, I brought my then six-year-old son, Matthew, and eight-year-old daughter Kaley, along to a few of the competitions. Matthew and Kaley were mesmerized by all of the engineering projects created by my high school students. They wanted to compete too! After looking for Engineering clubs geared toward kids their age, I was surprised to find that there weren’t many offerings. This was a major “aha!” moment for me as it was the experience that inspired me to start an engineering education program for kids.
When I asked Matthew if he knew what an engineer was, his response was one many children have: “someone who drives a train,” he chimed. Once I explained what engineers do, his response was a delighted, “Cool, I want to be an engineer!” Matthew and Kaley soon became the test subjects for my curriculum. Matthew and Kaley loved the projects and wanted more! This inspired me to teach an after school engineering class at their elementary school. I was surprised to find out how quickly the class filled up. The first class I offered was a Civil Engineering class in which the student built model bridges. The feedback from parents was overwhelmingly positive!
Shortly after, I started Engineering for Kids and began offering summer camps, birthday parties, after-school programs, and evening classes at local community centers and schools. At its core, Engineering For Kids brings science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), to kids ages 4 to 14 in a fun and challenging way. 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!
One thing that sets our program apart is that we encourage parents to enroll their children in EFK programs as early as four years old. Between the ages of four to six, kids have not developed that “boys play with this, girls play with that” thought process. They do not yet know about stereotypes or gender roles, and if we can reach them at an age where do not have preconceived notions of gender roles, we can inspire them to continue their journeys in learning more about math and science.
EFK offers a proprietary curriculum that is extremely diverse with many opportunities to learn S.T.E.M. through content and technology based programs. Some examples of content-based programs include aerospace, mechanical, environmental, civil and chemical engineering. Technology-based programs include robotics, electronic game design, software and hardware engineering. While other programs in our space focus on LEGO kits, students enrolled in EFK’s aerospace engineering programs design and build rockets, parachutes and lunar landers. Students enrolled in mechanical engineering programs design and build rollercoasters, sails and catapults.
The Company
Although Engineering For Kids basically started as an after school program, the company has since been franchised and boasts over a hundred locations internationally. I started running EFK out of my home in the summer of 2009, using local organizations like the YMCA to conduct programs in. We opened our first brick and mortar corporate location a year later, and two years after that we began franchising.
The Engineering For Kids mission and vision has remained simple and unchanged since our inception. Our vision is engineering education for every child. Our mission is to provide fun and educational engineering programs to children to inspire them to pursue engineering careers. The availability of youth engineering education is so important because it shows children that an integrated, cooperative approach to learning from our failures is important to their education and the future success of our nation. Children are our future, and by giving them the tools and the passion for S.T.E.M., we equip them to not only develop fulfilling and successful careers, but set them up to find solutions for both the problems we struggle with today, and the ones we will encounter down the road.
Having a positive company work culture is very important to me. Engineering activities are supposed to be fun, so I try to stress that attitude in all areas of the company. One way I do this is by setting aside time off for team building and small celebrations. We can never do it often enough but we try to get out of the office to celebrate birthdays or other evens to drive home the sense of community in the office. We have had costume contests, gone to a ropes course, played frisbee golf, laser tag, etc.
The Organization
Engineering For Kids is currently comprised of just under 150 locations and 1000 employees. Most of our owners come from a teaching or engineering background so I would consider them all engineers! As previously mentioned, I put a very strong emphasis on team building, as it really helps unite us as we try to make our vision a reality.
Advice to the Young Engineer
My main piece of advice is always to follow your heart and realize that your dream is your dream for a reason. If you feel led to dream it, why not make it a reality? It’s also important for young engineers to ask lots of questions and never stop learning. Fortunately, this comes naturally to most engineers as engineering at its core is all about challenging what you know and figuring out different ways to do things.
