Our Story
A story of innovation and seeking how to nurture a child's curiosity.
The Ideaventions Story
It all started in science class. We first met at the Thomas Jefferson School of Science and Technology in Alexandria, Virginia, becoming friends over beakers and robots. Later on, married and working in environmental science and IT management, we were searching for a science enrichment class for our oldest son. But we couldn’t find a program that fit our needs. We remembered our high school hallways teeming with students and teachers passionate about science and technology. How could we bring that type of enthusiasm to our young son? We knew he had an abundance of natural curiosity. Imagine a boy on a carousel staring at the steel poles up above. The ride wasn’t enough—he wanted to know exactly how it worked.
The search was on. We were committed to finding something for our son. We looked for a science program that was exciting. One that emphasized creativity and original thinking. A program that went well beyond the “leaf floats on water” experiment.
Our son loves science, but he needed something more. After a long search, we turned up empty handed. Nothing was quite right. But instead of throwing in the towel, we felt energized to fill an unmet need. A year of researching and experimentation followed. And the concept of ideaventions® was born.
We knew that even for a six-year-old, science is chemistry, physics and biology. It's also critical thinking, creative thought and problem solving. It can be expressed through words, art, technology and math. Science is all around us and we all experience it differently.
In 2010, the doors to our original Science Center in Oakton opened. The bright paint had dried, the cabinets and closets were filled with the latest lab equipment, and we had found a fantastic team of experienced teachers. Since then, we’ve continued to offer even more classes and programs that merge real science exploration with boundless fun.
We’re thrilled that our journey led to us here to ideaventions®, giving us the opportunity to share our experiences with your children. We hope to help lay foundations and skills that will go with them throughout their lives. Most of all, we hope they remember the fun they had at ideaventions®!
The story continues... fast forward several years and we stumbled across an even bigger problem in our educational systems. In 2014, realizing the need for transformation in education, especially in the areas of gifted and STEM education, we began designing a school like no other. In 2015, based on an evolution of educational principles and the philosophy of Ideaventions, we founded Ideaventions Academy for Mathematics and Science at our new campus in Reston, Virginia. Even with the growth of our school, our commitment to continuing to provide out of school STEM programs to the community lives on through our labs, events, camps and continual research and innovation in STEM education.
We look forward to continuing the journey began long ago and hope you join us. Whether as part of Ideaventions Academy or through Ideaventions community programs, we invite you to see what a truly inspired educational experience is about!
- Ryan and Juliana
The search was on. We were committed to finding something for our son. We looked for a science program that was exciting. One that emphasized creativity and original thinking. A program that went well beyond the “leaf floats on water” experiment.
Our son loves science, but he needed something more. After a long search, we turned up empty handed. Nothing was quite right. But instead of throwing in the towel, we felt energized to fill an unmet need. A year of researching and experimentation followed. And the concept of ideaventions® was born.
We knew that even for a six-year-old, science is chemistry, physics and biology. It's also critical thinking, creative thought and problem solving. It can be expressed through words, art, technology and math. Science is all around us and we all experience it differently.
In 2010, the doors to our original Science Center in Oakton opened. The bright paint had dried, the cabinets and closets were filled with the latest lab equipment, and we had found a fantastic team of experienced teachers. Since then, we’ve continued to offer even more classes and programs that merge real science exploration with boundless fun.
We’re thrilled that our journey led to us here to ideaventions®, giving us the opportunity to share our experiences with your children. We hope to help lay foundations and skills that will go with them throughout their lives. Most of all, we hope they remember the fun they had at ideaventions®!
The story continues... fast forward several years and we stumbled across an even bigger problem in our educational systems. In 2014, realizing the need for transformation in education, especially in the areas of gifted and STEM education, we began designing a school like no other. In 2015, based on an evolution of educational principles and the philosophy of Ideaventions, we founded Ideaventions Academy for Mathematics and Science at our new campus in Reston, Virginia. Even with the growth of our school, our commitment to continuing to provide out of school STEM programs to the community lives on through our labs, events, camps and continual research and innovation in STEM education.
We look forward to continuing the journey began long ago and hope you join us. Whether as part of Ideaventions Academy or through Ideaventions community programs, we invite you to see what a truly inspired educational experience is about!
- Ryan and Juliana
