Toronto, ON – Founded in Toronto, MakerKids is the leading provider of STEM programs for kids. Selected amongst thousands of entrepreneurs and startups, MakerKids is the winner of the 2017 TELUS Pitch small business Community Impact Award, which includes $10,000 cash and an additional $10,000 to donate to a charity of choice. MakerKids is an educational trailblazer providing after-school programs, camps and parties dedicated to giving kids the resources they need to feel empowered to participate in the digital world. MakerKids’ mission is to empower the leaders of tomorrow with the skills and mindsets to change the world.
The judges for the competition include notable entrepreneurs and industry leaders: Arlene Dickinson (CBC’s Dragons’ Den, CEO of District Ventures Capital), Bruce Poon Tip (Founder, G Adventures), Sunil Sharma (Managing Director, Techstars Toronto), Erin Bury (Managing Director, Eighty-Eight), Suzanne Trusdale (VP, TELUS Small Business Solutions), Mark Childs (Chief Marketing Officer, Samsung Canada).
“I am so happy and grateful to have won the TELUS Pitch small business Community Impact Award. We will use the $10,000 to help take the business to the next level, and donate the additional charitable $10,000 to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). Many of the children that come to our programs have mental health conditions, and children’s mental health institutions refer clients to us due to the positive impact of our programs on their clients. We are excited to support mental health initiatives and be able to give back,” says Jennifer Turliuk, CEO, MakerKids
With a focus on effective and positive digital education, MakerKids hopes to cultivate minds that feel empowered by our digital contexts, and seek to design supportive futures for everyone. Carlos Contreras, Director of Education at Intel, says “I think that MakerKids is doing some outstanding things for kids. Let’s get more kids into making.”
MakerKids’ education model develops leaders, designers, engineers and citizens that are excited to face a new generation of challenges. “In the years that we’ve been running our camps and weekly programs, we’ve seen kids presenting their MakerKids projects on national TV, starting their own businesses with the skills they’ve learned and most importantly – improving their confidence, social skills, and engagement at school,” adds Ms. Turliuk.
Thanks to the TELUS Pitch Community Impact Award, MakerKids will bring their innovative curriculum and teaching philosophy to more communities, empowering thousands of kids. This is a great step forward to further education and Canadian innovation in STEM.
About MakerKids
Designed and created by industry professionals and makers (NASA’s Singularity University graduate, engineers, entrepreneurs, teachers and speakers from Queen’s University), MakerKids is the leading provider of STEM programs for kids. MakerKids was named “Best Kids’ Workshops” by Toronto Life Magazine. Thousands of kids have taken MakerKids’ STEM programs in Coding, Robotics and Minecraft. MakerKids’ camps, after school and weekend programs and birthday parties empower children to be creators, not just consumers.
Inside MakerKids: https://youtu.be/p2jkrPa3Y48