STEM CLASSES FOR KIDS
Summer Camp & After School
summer enrollment is finally OPEN!
Call me if you need anything!
Call Niecy (833)NERDING or text my cell 602-312-5225
NERDING (verb) The act of being a nerd, someone who is smart, curious, and maybe a little obsessed with STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (We substitute Making for the “M” because our nerds are also Makers!)
Invented – Guided – Powered
by a Kyrene Teacher
Niecy Westmoreland
Founder/Teacher/Nerd
Certified K-8 Teacher
Taught 3rd & 4th grade in Kyrene for 9 years
B.A. in Elementary Education
Educational Tech Guru
Owns light up shoes and 11 pairs of glasses
Nerding began as a passion project. I’ve always loved teaching STEM, and the very first Nerding summer funded the purchase of some great tech tools for my 4th grade classroom. Let’s be real. I like toys.
But as a teacher, I was faced with the age-old education problem of “never enough time”. With so much being asked of our students and teachers, so often the first things to get cut from the classroom are science and creative projects.
One answer to “never enough time” was to actually create more time. I started designing extracurricular classes that melded important academic content with cutting edge tools and engaging activities. As long as they were hands on and interactive, kids would be able to engage deeply with the content in an after school and summer setting, thus giving us “more time”.
I also saw the kinds and quality of the classes being offered after school at my campus and in summer programs. The problems were glaring: same classes being offered over and over for years, too many kids in the class, and instructors that were college age or couldn’t manage a classroom.
The answer to this one is so simple, use cutting edge tools with academic curriculum, keep student/teacher ratios low, and employ real teachers with classroom experience. The class content can be learned by our teachers relatively quickly, but classroom management and the ability to question and push kids’ thinking is a skill we hone for our entire careers.
Anyway, the rest is history. Hope to see your nerd in a class soon!
Alice M
Julie L
Kathleen B
Bottom line for me is that if M loved it, and felt safe and confident about his experience, it was a win for all of us! He will be back!”
Classes for the 21st Century
Custom Curriculm – Highly Engaging – Deep Understanding
Science
Real science kids can understand. No flashy demonstrations with no knowledge transfer here. Kids will come home with a story of how instead of just what.
Technology
Learning how technology can help us solve problems is the goal. Use technology to work for you to create and augment learning and sharing information.
Engineering
The world has so many problems. Let’s work on solving them. Use the Engineering Design Process to Ask, Imagine, Plan, Create, and Improve ideas and designs!
Making
Tinker! Create! Build! Get your hands dirty! Kids shift from being a consumer to being a producer. Work on fine motor skills and learn properties of materials.
Robotics
Robotic technologies are advancing quickly and integrating more and more into everything we do! Plus, we must be ready when they try to take over, right?
Coding
Coding is becoming a fundamental literacy. The basics are important in almost any career, and kids need to be prepared for a digital future we can’t even imagine yet!
Science
Real science kids can understand. No flashy demonstrations with no knowledge transfer here. Kids will come home with a story of how instead of just what.
Technology
Learning how technology can help us solve problems is the goal. Use technology to work for you to create and augment learning and sharing information.
Engineering
The world has so many problems. Let’s work on solving them. Use the Engineering Design Process to Ask, Imagine, Plan, Create, and Improve ideas and designs!
Making
Tinker! Create! Build! Get your hands dirty! Kids shift from being a consumer to being a producer. Work on fine motor skills and learn properties of materials.
Robotics
Robotic technologies are advancing quicky and integrating more and more into everything we do! Plus, we must be ready when they try to take over, right?
Coding
Coding is becoming a fundemental literacy. The basics are important in almost any career, and kids need to be prepared for a digital future we can’t even imagine yet!
How We’ve Grown
- 2014
Our first (adorably humble) summer. We kept it small and simple holding classes at our house in Chandler.
Ages 8-11
1 teacher (Ms. W)
4 class topics
4 class sessions
6 kids per class
24 seats filled
- 2015
We needed more space, and began using the great community room at Children’s Dental Village.
Ages 8-11
1 teacher (Ms. W)
8 class topics
10 class sessions
10 kids per class
100 seats filled
- 2016
Created more summer classes. The next school year we began Nerding as an after school program in Kyrene.
Ages 8-11
2 teachers
12 class topics
16 class sessions
10 kids per class
160 seats filled
- 2017
Expanded summer age groups by hiring Mrs. Kiefer, and rented a commercial space with 2 classrooms.
Ages 6-12
3 teachers
16 class topics
24 class sessions
20 kids per class
385 seats filled
- 2018
We are gearing up for our biggest summer yet! We are renting the entire Desert Sun Campus in Chandler.
Ages 4-12
12 teachers
20 class topics
40 class sessions
6 classrooms
New Grade Levels
800+ seats!
Summer 2018 Enrollment Begins Soon.
This is going to be our biggest summer yet!Where Classes Are Happening
After School
Summer Camp
Chandler, AZ
elliot/dobson
May 29 – Aug 1, 2018
Grades K-7
10 Weeks
26 Different Classes
13 Certified Teachers
4 Classrooms
Week Long Classes
All Day Option
Special Events
Contact Us
833-NERDING | 833-637-3464
Call Us. We would love to hear from you!
NERDS@NERDING.org
Email Us. We respond ASAP!