On this episode, Rebecca Monet and Elizabeth Denham interview Dori Roberts of Engineering for Kids. Her entrepreneurial spirit was born of demand from parents who wanted more of her afterschool STEM programming. She followed the demand and the opportunity and built a successful franchise. And mostly while she was a single mother!
Meet Dori Roberts
Engineering For Kids® was started by Dori Roberts in 2009. Dori has been teaching engineering for over eleven years. She 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, Dori earned quite a reputation for herself and her students, as they won many awards as the school’s Technology Student Association, with Dori as their advisor.
Every year, Dori and her students would compete in events in technology and engineering at the local, state, and national level. In 2007, she brought her five-year-old son, Matthew, and her seven-year-old daughter Kaley, along to a few of the competitions. Matthew and Kaley were mesmerized by all of the engineering projects created by Dori’s high school students. They wanted to compete too! It was the experience that inspired her to start an engineering education program for kids.
When Dori asked Matthew if he knew what an engineer was, his response was one many children have. Someone who drives a train! He chimed. Once Dori explained to Matthew what engineers do, his response was a delighted, “Cool, I want to be an engineer!” Matthew and Kaley soon became the test subjects for Dori’s curriculum. Matthew and Kaley loved the projects and wanted more! This inspired her to teach an after school engineering class at their elementary school. She was surprised to find out how quickly her class filled up. The first class Dori offered was a Civil Engineering class in which the student built model bridges. The feedback from parents was overwhelmingly positive!
Dori started Engineering For Kids and began offering summer camps, birthday parties, after-school programs, and evening classes at local community centers and schools. She has now franchised her concept and has over 150 locations worldwide.
The Coterie for Women: https://www.thecoterieforwomen.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecoterieforwomen
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-coterie-for-women/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/coterieforwomen
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecoterieforwomen/
Merch: https://the-coterie-for-women.myshopify.com/
YouTube Where Passion and Purpose Collide: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAm9WVL1862BRRH4Walab-g
YouTube Gift of the Struggle: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAm9WVL1862BRRH4Walab-g