July 29, 2024

STEM Everyday #269 | The Brooklyn Robot Foundry | feat. Jenny Young

24 minutes

Jenny Young spent a great deal of time building with her father in their family’s garage when she was growing up. She learned how familiar things worked by taking them apart, and how to put them back together in new combinations. It was this hands-on building experience that stayed with Jenny and ultimately sparked the idea for Brooklyn Robot Foundry.

After getting a degree in Mechanical Engineering, Jenny worked in various areas of design, manufacturing, supply chain management and software development. It was when she was working in education technology that Jenny saw an overwhelming need for more open-ended, hands-on learning for elementary school students. Between reduced school budgets, overcrowding, and standardized testing, students were no longer getting an immersive engineering education.

In 2011, Jenny launched Brooklyn Robot Foundry at the New York City Maker Faire. The unique approach would combine kid-friendly projects with room for experimentation and creative design, resulting in working robots and elated, children.

Founded in 2011 and with four locations open currently, the brand focuses on sharing the fun of STEAM education with children everywhere, inspiring them to continue a life full of exploration, problem-solving, and imagination. They do this by offering fun, creative and educational classes, parties, camps and field trips to children 2-14 years old.

Their signature designs and building methods allow children to build on their own, resulting not only in a cool robot but also in increased confidence. They provide the guidelines for each day’s robots, but the final design is up to the student, offering a variety of programs, ranging in commitment from a single class to an entire semester.

Connect with Jenny & The Brooklyn Robot Foundry: