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Creating Thinkers.
Making Makers.

Programs

Born in Seattle by local architects and artists passionate about children’s education and creative play, BEAM Experiences offers hands-on guided learning for grades 1-8. Our curriculum is STEAM based (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) with a focus on creativity, exploration and experimentation.

BEAM teachers guide students through project-based challenges in a risk-free environment. Students will emerge from each class, camp, or workshop with expanded STEAM knowledge and a unique experience.

Excited to Begin?

Start here!

School Enrichment

After-school programs, offering guided lessons that promote creative problem-solving in a fun, lab-type setting, are 90 or 120 minutes, once per week.

Our in-school programs are one-time focused lessons meant to support the daily curriculum with the latest in innovative learning and thinking.

All programs are located in the greater Seattle area. Read our full class descriptions here

All Things Robots

Jr. Robotics with Spike Prime – Construct moving contraptions out of the newest educational robotics materials! Students will learn about motorized construction techniques and build a foundation for our advanced course.

Advanced Robotics with EV3 – Unleash the creative powers of the LEGO® MINDSTORMS EV3 by building and programming real, functioning robots! Students will participate in group and individual challenges to build emerging critical and creative thinking skills.

Games and Design

Video Games Design – Video games are not only fun to play, but fun to create! Students use a 2D game development engine called Stencyl to design, animate, program and test their own Flash game that they can play and share on the computer.

Dungeons & Dragons – Calling all Adventurers! Join a party of brave heroes in the imaginary world of D&D and make friends in the real world along the way. Dungeons and Dragons is an inclusive role-playing game that focuses not on competition, but on storytelling, imagination, creativity, teamwork, and a bit of luck.

Minecraft Online activities – Join us for team survival challenges and team creative building projects!

Art & Animation

Pixel Art & Animation – Join us for an in-depth class about drawing with the smallest squares on any screen – pixels. Students will learn fine-art concepts such as color theory, light & shadow, perspective, tiling, animation principles and more.

Stop-Motion Animation – Bring your story to life by making stop motion animated movies! Working in teams, students build sets and characters using materials such as LEGO® bricks, white boards, and origami, then write, direct, and edit a unique story to share with the world!

Nature & Biology

Bugs & Microscopes – Bugs are everywhere! Did you know that 90% of animals on earth are insects? Get to know the critters in your backyard with Bugs & Microscopes! Students will learn to care for our tiny friends by building bug motels and ant farms. Then we’ll put on our biology hats and explore the local wilderness to catalog bugs with hand-made microscopes and wildlife journals. We know insects and spiders are much more than creepy-crawlies, and we hope to teach students just how interesting, helpful and cool they really are.

Birding Nature Camp – What’s that bird? Join us to look, listen, and learn in this camp for young naturalists. We will venture outdoors, observe birds in their habitats, and explore the science behind our feathered friends. Campers will use binoculars, make a wildlife journal, create backyard birdfeeders, dissect owl pellets, play bird-themed games, and learn about bird conservation. Birds are all around us – let’s take a closer look!

Events

Whether it’s a night of building robots, a day in the park learning the basics of structural engineering, or creating sets for stop-motion videos, BEAM has an event that will entertain.

We create and custom-build events for all ages and all occasions including:

  • Fundraisers
  • Team Building
  • Parents Night Out
  • Creative Challenges

If you are interested in private or corporate events, email us.

Workshops

Want to dive into learning stop-motion? Or create your dream home in an afternoon? Our workshops are arranged in focused blocks of time, allowing for in-depth exploration into technology, engineering and art, as well as new and cool innovation in the realm of architecture. Workshops are provided for a wide range of ages and interests.
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Summer Camps

What is better than fun and learning in the sun?! Join us for our Summer Camp experiences that last for a week, full or half day. Our instructors range in expertise and are sure to make your summer fun, while learning cool new and interesting programs. Some of our locations offer extended care too!

Visit our Camp Page!

Parents & Teachers Love BEAM

Minecraft Birthday Parties!

*Announcement* We are currently booked and cannot offer parties until further notice! Please come back later for updates. Sorry for the inconvenience!

Join us for an awesome virtual Minecraft experience! We will explore a unique adventure world, go on a scavenger hunt, do parkour challenges, compete in team games, and battle the Ender Dragon!

  • Starting at $275 for a 2 hour party
  • Up to 10 kids
  • We can customize the adventure to make it special

Contact us at [email protected] or (206)328-5303 to get started!

The BEAM TEAM

Alex Bonfield

BEAM Director

Alex’s love and expertise in everything art, animation, video game creation, and robotics makes him a unique teacher at Beam. Alex has a hand in all Beam curriculum creation in order to integrate STEAM in everything we do. Alex earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts with an emphasis in computer animation from James Madison University.

Ava Benami

BEAM Director

Ava is passionate about science education and the natural world. She’s excited about expanding BEAM’s Science-related curriculum when she’s not running Operations for the whole team! She has spent the majority of her career working in the veterinary field, and is now pursuing her Bachelor of Fisheries & Wildlife at Oregon State University. She is an avid bird-watcher and wilderness explorer in her free time.

Irina Ioana Jinga

BEAM Teacher

Irina is a geologist and a teacher, with over 2 years experience in informal education. She has worked with over 1500 children, making science fun and accessible for all. As a passionate educator, she believes that future innovation starts with developing curiosity in children today.

Michele Nelson

BEAM Teacher

Michele is an experienced educator and has worked with kids is many roles and settings. She's a dedicated volunteer and enjoys the challenge of ever-changing environments and motivating others to be their best. Michele loves walking her yellow lab and finding the best hiking trails in the Seattle area. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in special education from the University of Florida.

Elaine Nguyen

BEAM Teacher

Elaine is a third-year undergraduate student at the University of Washington studying Health Informatics and Health Information Management with a minor in Education, Learning, and Society. One of her favorite hobbies is to travel. Some of her favorite places she's been include Vietnam, Ireland, and Banff National Park in Canada.

Annie Random

BEAM Teacher

Annie is a high school Senior with a passion for everything STEAM. Her dream is to attend DigiPen Institute of Technology after completing an Associate Transfer degree in computer science, and eventually create an artificial intelligence to one day fulfill her goal of world domination (just kidding!). Hobbies include messing around with the Unity game engine, painting miniatures for tabletop games, playing D&D, and tinkering about with robots.

Steve O'Leary

BEAM Virtual Teacher

With over two decades of experience as a film & TV actor, writer, comedian, emcee, and musician, Steve loves to live life as a storyteller. He is an avid volunteer, adventurous traveler, and has a penchant for learning new languages. Steve earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science from James Madison University.

Taylor McCarty

BEAM Virtual Teacher

Taylor is an artist and early childhood educator since 2016, with a passion for helping kids grow and learn in creative ways. He loves math, art, video games, and pop culture. In his free time, he draws digital art using Procreate or FireAlpaca, and enjoys drawing cartoons and portraits. He attended DeVry University for two years studying Business Administration, and is currently following his dream to be the world’s greatest teacher! Taylor is based in Hamilton, Ohio and brings his enthusiasm to the screen in our virtual classrooms.

Anna Marcus

BEAM Virtual Teacher

Anna is a technology lover with a passion for all things gaming. She recently graduated from DePaul University with a dual degree in Game Design and Japanese Studies. Aside from playing video games, Anna loves to be creative and express herself through making video games and drawing cute characters. She also spends much of her free time studying Japanese religion and its ancient roots in the country's history.

Our BEAM Team is made up of educators who have a passion for teaching and creating compelling project-based experiences. It’s a cool job! We are always looking for new Beam Team members. Send us your resume and cover letter. We will contact you when there are openings.

Email us!

Partners

BEAM in Your School

More Information

Building robots, experimenting with stop motion, creating 3d structures with marshmallows and cardboard; these are the things that BEAM specializes in. We bring an exciting and hands on approach to STREAM based learning.

Learn more

Excited To Begin?

Click here for our program interest form and let us know what programs or events you would like at your location.

Interest Form

Want to know more about our sister company Bricks 4 Kidz? Take a peek at their website.

Contact Us

Are you interested in bringing one of our classes to your child’s school? Let us know! We are always excited to talk to people interested in what BEAM has to offer. Contact us with any questions you have below.


BEAM reserves the right to cancel a program at any time if it does not meet our minimum roster requirement of 8 students.