What to Expect
A fun, safe, and educational experience that you can feel good about.
The MakerKids Guarantee: If your child does not have a positive and transformative experience, we will give you a refund!
Our Promise to You
Highly Knowledgeable and Passionate STEM Instructors
For our instructors, this isn’t just a job – it’s their opportunity to make a contribution to the world by making a positive difference in kids’ lives. They have incredible backgrounds in technology and working with kids, e.g. at science and technology camps at Queen’s University, City of Toronto, the Ontario Science Centre, and more. Instructors are selected from hundreds through a 7-step interview process, reference checks and police checks. They are trained extensively.
Our CEO is an award-winning entrepreneur who coded a website at 12 that went viral, was selected from thousands for the Singularity University program at NASA, and was awarded an honorary degree from Humber College for contributions to society through MakerKids
The Worry-Free Advantage
Programs you can feel good about sending your child to.
Parent-recommended
90% of clients hear about us from a friend’s recommendation. 9/10 parents surveyed recommend our programs
Teacher-recommended
Teachers from schools across the GTA send students to us and report behavioural improvements.
Kid
Recommended
Thousands of kids have participated in our programs. Some kids have come from as far as the Carribean to attend our camps!
Expert
Recommended
The CEO of Arduino is on our Board of Advisors. We’ve been invited to speak at SXSW, Maker Faire, MakerCon, and more
Press
Recommended
Recommended by national and international press such as Wired, CTV, Globe and Mail.
Award
Winning
Best Kids’ Programs (Toronto Life Magazine), Top Birthday Party Place (Today’s Parent), NextGen in Franchising (International Franchise Association)
Recommended by Mental Health Professionals
Children’s mental health institutions refer patients to us due to the positive outcomes they have seen with their clients.
Accredited by the Ontario Camps Association
MakerKids follows over 200 best-in-class safety standards.
Expert-Written and Time-Tested Kids STEM Program Curriculum
“I think that MakerKids is doing some outstanding things for kids. Let’s get more kids into making.”
Carlos Contreras, Director of Education, Intel“MakerKids is a cool place where it’s cool to be smart.”
Massimo Banzi, CEO of ArduinoOur CEO was awarded an Honorary Degree from Humber College for her contributions to society via our curriculum. In the past, we have done Content and Curriculum Development for clients like Intel and 3D Systems, and Professional Development services for clients such as the Toronto Public Library. The various backgrounds of our curriculum writers include the Singularity University program at NASA (where we learned the best practices for applying technology to education), engineering at Queen’s University, and writing curriculum for science camps at Queen’s University and the City of Toronto.
Core Values
These are the behaviours that our staff follow and encourage kids to follow.
Make a Positive Impact
Leave people and places better than when you found them.
Behaviours: clean up, share resources, smile, help others, be environmentally friendly, design solutions to problems, give more than you take, contribute to a cause you care about, lead to make a difference, only make things that help, use tech for good
Take Initiative
If you see a problem that you can solve or a way to make things better, do it. If we don’t, who will?
Behaviours: write down and share ideas, help out where you can, take action without being asked, be entrepreneurial, create, innovate, imagine, think creatively, make awesome projects, lead by example
Love to Learn
Learning is a lifelong journey. Always be learning. Learn for the love of learning.
Behaviours: constantly learn so you can better yourself, read, take courses, learn outside the space, be resourceful, use past learning, question and be curious, figure out the best ways you learn and follow them, learn about topics you are passionate about, strive for accuracy, think flexibly, critical thinking
Grow to Your Full Potential
In order to help the world as much as you can, become the best version of yourself possible – the world needs your unique skills and contributions.
Behaviours: set, share and achieve goals; work hard, stretch yourself, be the best you can, look after your well-being, know that you can grow, take responsible risks, try your best, self-reflection, learn and grow so you can do anything
Be Persistent
Don’t be afraid to fail. Sucking at something is the first step to being kind of good at something.
Behaviours: learn what went wrong and try again, take a deep breath if you are frustrated or if things aren’t working, realize that mistakes can help you learn, believe in yourself, be confident, take action, work independently to the best of your ability, complete tasks on time and with care, self-reliance, organize
Be Safe
Safety first. Create a safe space for each other.
Behaviours: make sure other makers are being safe, identify hazards/issues and share them, follow rules, show self-control and self-management, follow routines with minimal need of reminders, keep cables on the tables, don’t run, follow online safety guidelines, ensure actions are considerate of others and reflect expectations, have a positive relationship with technology, if you see something say something
Be Respectful
Be excellent to each other. Respect each other’s differences and challenges.
Behaviours: be kind, supportive, honest, accountable and inclusive; act with integrity, empathy, care and cultural respect; be respectful of challenges and differences, recognize and stand up for others’ rights, active/reflective listening, don’t interrupt, seek first to understand, think how you’d want to be treated, respect space, be a good citizen/netizen, manners
Be Positive
We have a choice in life: spread negativity or spread positivity. Whenever you can, spread awesomeness.
Behaviours: be optimistic, passionate and enthusiastic; create connections,and a sense of belonging; make friends, smile, give praise, share good news, have a positive attitude, create a great experience, respond with awe and appreciation, find humor, adapt, be a role model for others, be engaged, self-expression
Work as a Team
Everything is better together. Learn from each other. Share what you’ve learned. No maker left behind.
Behaviours: share what you know, give and ask for feedback, learn from/with others, actively participate, help each other to improve, work as a team, communicate clearly, seek collaboration, think interdependently, make friends, work towards group goals, assume responsibility for your share of work
A Parent Guide to MakerKids Mentalities
MakerKids is an organization that enables kids to build their ideas with computers, robotics and materials. Our goal is to inspire and empower kids to think, design, experiment and create using STEM education. Our Maker-Mentors are facilitators for the kids, and also encourage them to seek out resources to learn on their own, and to teach each other. Interwoven with everything we do is our philosophy to honour kids’ own creativity and trust their abilities. Kids who are confident in their own abilities are capable of learning and doing anything!
MakerKids’ Recipe:
- Dedicated space
- Computers and materials
- Process over Product
- Interest-Driven
- Kids Teaching Kids
- Kids Teaching Us
- Exhibition
- Community
Some key principles:
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It’s OK to fail
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Experiential Learning – Learn by doing
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Choose to celebrate Making (not just what they’ve made)
