Zaniac’s new Miami campus at Dadeland Station was recently transformed into a festive celebration space, complete with music, balloons and birthday cake. The evening marked the grand opening of the first Zaniac in Florida, an innovative after school STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) enrichment program for kids K-8, and more than 150 parents and kids joined in on the fun. Zaniac staff escorted attendees on tours of the campus, allowing each child to explore and play in the designated rooms of the colorful state-of-the-art facility.
Guests learned about the purpose of, and the activities emphasized in each of the programs: Game-Based Learning: Minecraft™; Lego Robotics; Computer Programming; 3D printing; and more.
Guests also had the opportunity to interact with the instructors, who are all handpicked high school seniors and junior college graduates with experience, ambition and passion for STEM. Some of the impressive instructors include a 21-year old current mechanical engineering PhD at University of Miami, a Senior Air Force ROTC Cadet, an engineering magnet student at Coral Park Senior High, and members of RamTech, a Robotics Club.
Professor Paul Zane Pilzer, founder and chairman of Zaniac, Sidharth Oberoi, president, and Zaniac Miami’s co-owners Claudia Machado and Neydy Gomez were the event’s stars; they greeted parents and enthusiastically shared information about Zaniac’s progressive curriculum, which is custom designed to help students learn at their own pace with hands-on, interactive, real world applications for math and science.
“Today was a prime example of the ways in which children, through play, learn and enhance their creativity, solve problems and have fun by engaging in programs that nurture children’s love of math and technology,” said Neydy Gomez, co-owner Zaniac Miami.
“The overwhelming response we received tonight firmly validated what we already knew — that there was a clear void and high demand for this type of programming in South Florida,” added Claudia Machado, co-owner, Zaniac. “We are very proud to be a pioneer in this effort and look forward to helping turn today’s young thinkers into tomorrow’s leaders.”
A formal ribbon-cutting ceremony followed with Mark Trowbridge, president of the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce, Mary Scott Russell, president of Chamber South, and Karen Bodenhamer, a representative for Councilmember Karyn Cunningham from the Village of Palmetto Bay.
Zaniac, South Miami is located at 8320 South Dixie Highway. For more information, call (305) 668-0605 or visit www.zaniaclearning.com/southmiami.
