We're bringing real STEAM labs to children who have never had one.
Kids Engine is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit headquartered in Seattle, Washington. We travel to communities without access, run hands-on STEAM workshops, train local facilitators, and leave a self-sustaining program behind permanently.
The story
Over a decade ago, founder Rojin Vishkaie ran hands-on technology workshops for K-12 students in communities without access in the American Midwest, using hardware donated by a major technology company. Those workshops produced measurable learning outcomes, positive participant surveys, and peer-reviewed published research. Kids Engine takes that proven model global.
The model
- • Research-backed curriculum built on a decade of peer-reviewed findings from real workshops with real children.
- • All hardware provided at every workshop: laptops, tablets, sensors, microcontrollers, robotics kits, lab instruments, art tablets, and musical instruments, donated by corporate partners.
- • Local facilitators trained and certified to run workshops independently, so the program continues long after Kids Engine moves on.
- • Outcomes measured and documented: participant surveys, learning assessments, and facilitator feedback, building an evidence base for grant applications and funders.
- • All equipment is donated by corporate partners, giving every tool a second life and putting it to work for children who need it most.
Dr. Rojin Vishkaie
Founder and Executive Director, Kids Engine
Dr. Rojin Vishkaie is a researcher, educator, and strategist with a PhD in Computational Design and HCI and 15 years of experience spanning tech, academia, nonprofits, and R&D. She is a former Assistant Professor at Arizona State University, where she designed and taught STEAM curriculum. She has led initiatives across both consumer and enterprise sectors, collaborating with cross-functional teams to translate research insights into innovative solutions. Her teaching, research, and industry experience together shape how Kids Engine designs curriculum, builds partnerships, and pursues funding.
What we believe
We go where the lab has never been
Schools and community centers without access, and international communities across the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America.
Real hardware in every child's hands
Not screens, not simulations. The feel of a science fair, the structure of a lab.
Local people run the program
Trained teachers, community educators, university students, and local professionals. We invest in the community, not just the children in it.
Joy is the engine
If it isn't fun, it isn't Kids Engine.
How we scale, in three phases.
Founder-led launch
1–3 US locations, founder-run programs, building the evidence base and first corporate equipment partnerships.
Facilitator network
10–50 locations across 3+ countries, certified local facilitators running programs independently.
Licensed curriculum
Unlimited global locations. Kids Engine curriculum and toolkit licensed to partner organizations worldwide.