FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

How can new students enroll into your courses? Can students who have no experience enroll? During the school year (Fall, Winter/Spring), students can enroll as new students as our curriculum changes throughout the year, our classes are geared towards beginners who have no experience. We offer an Intermediate course in some locations for students who have taken at least 2 semesters with us. Our second semester (Winter / Spring) is a continuation made of new curriculum and concepts not covered in the first semester. Some concepts are repeated but taught in a different and new way than the first semester. 

Can my son who has no experience in robotics take your summer camps? Yes! our camps are structured so that students with little to no experience can enroll. If your student has experience with robotics, we offer more advanced curriculum depending on their experience. Check our course descriptions to better understand what will be covered for each summer camp week. 

Can I get a receipt? Companies or Government agencies that require receipts from after school providers typically require a document of payment. To submit a receipt from our courses, simply print out your Pay Pal receipt and submit it to requesting agencies.

Does my student need to bring anything? Yes, your student needs to bring him or herself, thats it! We provide all necessary learning materials and robotics platforms to complete all of our coursework.

How do certificates work? We grant certificates to all students who have completed our course. Students are allowed to miss up to 3 days per semester to be eligible for a certification. Students who complete one week in summer camp will also receive a certificate of completion. 

How do I make up a missed class? If your student misses a class, we offer a maximum of 3 make up classes at any of our other locations within the same semester. Simply choose which location and time you would like to come and make up your missed day and email us letting us know you will be there. Our certifications are based upon hours, so making up the hours will help in case you are going to miss more than 3 days per semester.

Do you offer refunds? Yes! We allow parents and students a grace period to decide if our class is best for them. If your student is taking an after school course, we allow up to 3 weeks to decide if this class will be a fit or not. If your student is taking a summer camp with us, we allow up to the end of the first day of camp to decide if our camp is a suitable fit for him or her. There is a transaction fee for the refund due to our merchant services process; otherwise, all services un-rendered are refunded. You can read about our refund policy here: 

 

https://www.starkidsafterschool.org/terms---conditions

My daughter is going into 3rd grade this fall, can she take your Sr. Robotics (grades 3-6) camp? Yes! any student that is going into grades 3-6 can enroll in our Sr. Robotics Camp. Students who are entering grades 1-2 are also allowed to enroll into our camps, but only in the Jr. (grades 1-2) level.

What is the teacher to student ratio in the classroom? Typically the teacher to student ratio is 10 students to 1 teacher. We have teachers who can handle 12 students, but we normally keep the ratio at 10:1.

How many students per group? Our stations always consist of 2 students. A station is the equipment used in any given day for the course. Typically a station consists of either a computer or iPad and the robotic platform we are working with that day.

Does your company have a system to monitor time behind the computer and equipment while working in groups? Absolutely! We are very aware that students can easily get into a group, whether it be with a school friend or sibling, where they are not participating equally and as much as we would like them to be. All students must have a balance of programming, time behind the equipment, and engineering engagement, so we believe working with their partner in a shared co-collaborative environment is of upmost importance in this process. We constantly monitor the class to make sure that both students are participating equally.

 

How does your curriculum work? We have developed in house curriculum for about 8 different robotic platforms. These platforms are divided up to appropriately educate certain age groups. Please see our 'robotics program' tab for more information on curriculum. 

 

How do scholarships work? We offer 1 scholarship per semester per location. To apply for a scholarship, please fill out the Scholarship Application form below, attach either last years tax info, or the last three paystubs and we will contact you as soon as your application is reviewed:

 

https://www.starkidsafterschool.org/scholarship 

If you have any further questions, please feel free to email us at: admin@starkidsafterschool.org and we would be happy to answer any question you may have!