Science education is such an important part of the academic school day and districts are making it an important part of their after school enrichment programs as well. With technology jobs growing exponentially and older employment sectors being remade by digital advancements, the time to focus on STEM education is now.
Flex Academies offers enrichment programs in topics ranging from web design and app making to 3D-printing and LEGO engineering. Districts benefit from these after school activities because they can bring a wide variety of skills to students. Students can choose classes based on interest, which increases the likelihood that they will learn the topic.
Flex Academies Focuses On The Fun
Vendors with science-based offerings can focus on their curriculum and getting kids excited about science. The administrative tasks, overhead, and other issues are handled by Flex Academies coordinators. Mad Science’s Jamie Lerner, a long-time Flex partner, knows how valuable that on-site coordinator is for her instructors.
“They love it because they know there is someone there to support them when there is an issue with the child. They are not on their own; there is someone that can help them,” Lerner says. “They also love the help they get with signing kids out at dismissal because dismissal can obviously be done well or poorly, and at Flex schools it always goes very smoothly.”
Time For Seriously Silly Slime
That gives the kids and the instructors a chance to focus on one of the best parts of science: messy goop!
“We make slime, obviously, but our goal is to show kids how cool science can be,” Lerner says. “What we want in our class for the kids to learn, of course, but what we want them to learn first is how cool science can be.”
With dismissal, behavioral issues and any other distracting organizational task handled by Flex coordinators, Lerner knows that Mad Science instructors are able to make the kids and their engagement with science their top priority.
“So we want them saying ‘wow’ and getting excited and running home and showing their parents their take-home projects,” she says. “Their enthusiasm is what we live off of and that is what we love.”
