Parent and Educator Workshops

Programs for Adults

Professional Development for Educators

In-person or online workshops with hands-on activities, full of ideas for inexpensive ways to add Maker activities to your schedule! Presentations include:

• Makerspace Activities with Everyday Stuff

• Teach Robotics with BOTS!

Parent Workshops with Q&A

In-person or online workshops to help parents get kids interested in science, math, and more. Kathy’s popular homeschooling workshops give families an overview of New York State requirements and tips to make learning at home engaging while minimizing stress for parents and children.

• NYS Homeschool Q&A

• Easy STEAM at Home

Makerspace Activities with Everyday Stuff

Professional Development for Classroom, Library, and Afterschool Educators

STEAM at Home

Easy Activities for Parents and Caregivers

Kathy shares 20+ years of experience teaching STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) at home and in enrichment programs.

What you get:

• Tips on:

  • where to find project and activity ideas

  • how to find and use everyday materials to teach any STEAM concept, from gravity to nuclear physics (yes, really!)

  • skills and techniques kids should know

  • how to balance a successful project with the chance to design and experiment

  • how to help kids develop troubleshooting and problem-solving strategies

  • how to use the Design Thinking Process – testing, getting expert and user feedback, and documenting your work

• try out one or more hands-on projects that help kids develop trouble-shooting skills they’ll use in all areas of life.

What you need:

• Varies by activities requested. Ask about kids, or request a complete materials list.

Teach Robotics with BOTS!

You don’t need to know coding or electronics to teach kids how robots really work! Kathy’s book BOTS! Robotics Engineering with Hands-On Makerspace Activities is written for ages 9-12, but is also a great framework for a complete introductory unit on robotics. And she shared even more great teaching ideas in her book Making Simple Robots (2nd Ed). In this workshop, Kathy will show you how to teach your own five-session Build BOTS! enrichment course for elementary and middle school ages that takes students from simple paper projects to physical computing.

What you get:

• teaching guides for Kathy’s Build BOTS! robotics course

• templates for paper models like a “soft” robot claw and a walking robot dog

• walk-through one or more hands-on projects that help kids develop trouble-shooting skills they’ll use in all areas of life.

What you need:

Order a kit, or see the complete materials list.

Homeschooling in New York State Q&A

Homeschooling is a great choice for many families. And it's not as hard as you think! Find out how to fulfill NYS requirements while creating a rewarding educational experience for children and parents alike. Kathy was the Homeschooling Expert for About:com (now ThoughtCo) and a columnist for Home Education Magazine. She homeschooled her two adult children from kindergarten up until college, and continues to work with families one-on-one to get started on their homeschooling journey.

What you get:

• a walk through the regulations to explain what parents need to do at each stage

• suggestions for meeting the minimum requirements that fit your situation and goals

• tips on where to find free and low-cost learning materials, resources, and activities you can use to fulfill NYS regulations for each subject

• an explanation of NY’s high school completion options and how to create a high school transcript that demonstrates your student’s accomplishments to colleges

• A printable PDF with helpful links, a selection of my homeschooling articles, and my "homeschooling high school to college" packet.