The parent company of BRICKS 4 KIDZ® is Creative Learning Corporation, a publicly-listed US company.  The company recently posted an article detailing the extent of the crisis facing STEM education, and how BRICKS 4 KIDZ® may be part of an effective response.

As the article notes, “The U.S. has 13 federal agencies that have committed over $3.4 billion to more than 250 different programs supporting Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (“STEM”) programs, according to the Association of Science and Technology Centers (“ASTC”). Despite these investments, the World Economic Forum ranks the U.S. 52nd in the quality of mathematics and science education.”

Australia faces similar challenges.The number of maths major enrolments in Australian universities fell by about 15 per cent in the past decade, while at the same time the demand for mathematicians increased by 52 per cent. The proportion of year 12 students taking physics, chemistry and biology fell by about a third in the past 10 years, and in international education performance assessments Australia is dropping down ranks.   The issue has received plenty of media attention.

BRICKS 4 KIDZ® offers programs designed to teach the principles of engineering, math and science to children ages 3-12+ using LEGO® Bricks. Classes are provided in school/after school, at special event programs, and at vacation programs designed to enhance and enrich the traditional school curriculum by triggering imagination and building confidence.  The experience of using LEGO® to build models embeds the STEM concepts in kids in ways that we can’t reach with traditional classroom-based learning.  As the article notes, “In a 2009 Purdue University study, researchers found that students that used hands-on learning were able to use drawings, words, or phrases to explain STEM concepts better than those learning the same material via lecture, particularly among non-native English speaking children.”  BRICKS 4 KIDZ® is proof of that.

If you are new to BRICKS 4 KIDZ® and unfamiliar with its programs, this short video is a great introduction.  

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKUh-4K6jpI[/youtube]

We recently posted news of our July school holiday programs – please get in touch to learn more!