2023-2024 Early Enrollment now Open
Invest in their Early Edu & Prepare them for THEIR Future!
How we roll
Our main goal is to use modern tools and teaching methodologies to help train the brain’s neural network for creative problem solving, innovation, and analytical + critical thinking! The videos below are some of the Hands-on, In-person Labs that allow us to 1) get to know each student personally 2) tailor their learning needs individually 3) provide mentorship as they move along their educational careers. How do we do this? Well, our classes are grouped by development and have a Student: Teacher ratio of 6:1 🙌 Furthermore we have regular lab field trips and activities so that our students create a network of friends in a positive environment to grow together!
The STEAMwhiz Curriculum
Our Science Technology Engineering Art Math classes are designed to teach students (ages 6-14 yrs old) how to innovate and think creatively. While there are many STEM boxes/programs that are great to spark interest, they typically stress following a set of instructions and lack the depth needed to develop critical problem-solving skills. The primary objective of our STEAMwhiz courses’ is to teach the ‘process’ of innovating and creative problem-solving. This state-of-the-art curriculum is developed in-house by the STEAM-TEAM. All our programs exceed NY State and NGSS standards by a mile. Our purpose is to proactively fill the gaps in the current education system and prepare students for their future, not our past.
Areas of Focus
Early Childhood Development in Technical Subjects
Scaffolded and Spiraled STEAM Curriculum
Establish a Growth Mindset
Foster G.R.I.T./Perseverance
Exceed IHIP Homeschool requirements
Project-Based Learning for in-depth learning experiences
Remove inhibitions from Science, Eng, Math
Fail-forward, iterative design process
Inspire Innovation & Creativity
Exceed State and National Standards
Year-Round Programs
To ingrain new brain patterns it’s important to develop positive habits on a regular schedule. Being a local education center based in Guilderland, NY we are able to offer several opportunities to our community to do just that. Students ages 6-14 yrs old will work in a small group setting (6:1 student teacher ratio) and learn solve problems together!
School Year
- Quarterly Semesters (Fall, Winter, Spring)
- 1hr a week (pick Mon-Fri)
- Homeschool 2-3pm
- Afterschool 4:00-6:30pm
- Each Semester Culminates in a Final Project
- Students are grouped by development
Camps
- Advanced STEAM Cirriculum
- Each week packs a semester’s worth of learning
- Small class sizes allows intense and personal interactions
- Choose Summer A July -or- Summer B August
- Sign up for the full month or per week basis
- Click Here to Learn more
Events
- One-day Lab Specials
- Open Lab Hours
- 3D printing
- Laser Cutting
- Coding Challenges
- Gaming Events
- Robotic Builds
The Lab
Did you know there are 700+ coding languages in use today? There is no substitute for getting hands-on in lab and we are constantly adding new tools to enrich the learning experience. So, while modern tools are invaluable to the learning experience, in the end they are just that, a tool. We use them to provide new ways for students to innovate and foster creative problem-solving habits. When students learn to do this, they will be able to pick-up new tools on-the-fly and apply them to solve the problems of tomorrow. Its the process not the tools!
Modern Tools
Robotics
CAD Design
Coding & Game Design
Astronomy – 8″ SCT Telescope
Wood-working
Outdoor activities (Swings, Basketball, Net Sports…)
3D Printers
Laser Cutter & Engraver
Sublimation Printer
Educational Gaming
Electronic Circuits
Raspberry Pi, Arduino, Lego
School & Organizations
The ‘STEAM’ team are professionals with over 10 years of experience working with organizations such as schools, camps, libraries, and other types of large programs. Dr J has also mentored several students throughout the higher education process (under-grad -> PhD -> PostDoc -> Industry), and used his accomplished career as a base for numerous motivational talks to students of diverse backgrounds similar to himself.
STEAMwhiz has the flexibility to offer 1-day events as well as quarterly or year-round curriculum that is fundamentally deep and technical. We also work closely with schools/programs to fulfill science-related state requirements for grades 1-12. Contact us to schedule a meeting and see what we can do for your students!
Sick Children
Kids are going to get sick. It’s how it goes, but the good news is that we build it into the semester and work with our students to get them back on track! With COVID-19, it’s especially important that we have great communication so that all the kids in the lab and our community are safe! Luckily, there are plenty of safe and free options for testing (see below).
If your child is sick, please take care of them and contact your doctor. Keep us in the loop by contacting us, and don’t worry about the lab; we will work with you to find a solution. Hopefully, it’s nothing more than minor flu-like symptoms, and they can join us again soon.
What to do if your child is sick
If your child is showing any symptoms of illness (per the CDC guidelines) please stay home and consider getting them tested for COVID-19. Testing while your child is symptomatic is desired as the viral load will be high and, therefore, provide ideal conditions for an accurate test. Waiting will reduce the viral load and lead to less ideal. Please contact us and let us know that they are ill, and if possible, we will provide material to help them stay on track at home.
How to test for COVID-19
There are many options for testing, including free testing for COVID-19. The CDC recommends going to your healthcare provider to get tested. The state of NY has set up a page to find available test sites, as shown below. Walgreens & CVS are also offering free COVID-19 testing and is included as a testing provider by the state of NY with next-day results. Just fill out the online form, make an appointment, drive up, and have your child tested. If all else fails, there are at-home test kits available over the counter.
What to do if exposed to COVID-19
The following guidelines are from the CDC and can be found here. Once you are ready to come back, contact us, and we will work to get them back on schedule.
Make-Up & Refund Policy
During the School Year
If your child is unable to make it to the lab for one of the many reasons life throws at us, no worries! Let us know, and we will try to get them in the lab on a different day of that week for make-up. If they can’t make it in that week, then we can assign some homework over the weekend to catch them up, which is best so they don’t fall behind. If that doesn’t work out, then we actually have two weeks during the semester that are specifically for make-ups. The 1st make-up week is halfway through the semester and the 2nd make-up week is the final week of the semester. If your child never gets sick, then you can bring them during those make-up weeks and they get two bonus labs for free!
Still, sometimes unexpected events happen that are out of our control. Since STEAMwhiz is charged monthly during the school year, we can pause the monthly charge and resume once things are back to normal.
We have thought long and hard about how to ensure our students are getting all the necessary lab time completed during the academic semester/year, even during pandemic times. With ample opportunities to make-up labs, most students are successfully caught up, so they can continue to have a blast. As you can imagine there are a lot of materials, planning, and logistics involved once a student enrolls in a semester, which is why we typically don’t offer refunds. However, please do not hesitate to contact us if you have extenuating circumstances. What is most important to us is to do what’s best for our students and their families 🤗
During Summer STEAM Boot Camp
Summer camp is so much fun and super intense! They get a full semester’s worth of learning in one week! If you have reserved a spot and cancel by May 15th, then we will be able to offer a full refund. After May 15th, things get tricky for us because of all the planning, logistics, and pre-order of materials. In most cases, we try to work with you to reschedule your child(ren)’s lab boot camp to a different week during the current summer or we are able to offer a credit. Please contact us as early as possible to see how we can help.