I didn't start Launch Hub Learning to build a business. I started it for my two daughters.
They're growing up in a world that moves faster than the one I grew up in — one where technology doesn't just help you get things done, it reshapes what "getting things done" even means, year after year. I couldn't slow that down for them. What I could do was make sure they weren't scared of it.
In my mind, that was the best gift I could give them: not a head start on any one skill, but a foundation so solid that no complex problem would ever feel unapproachable. If they knew STEM and coding at their core — really knew it, not just recognized the vocabulary — they'd have building blocks. Pieces they could pick up, combine, and use to take apart any hard problem technology puts in front of them, now or twenty years from now.
So I taught them myself. Kitchen table, spare parts, a lot of duct tape, and a lot of patience. We built things that didn't work, figured out why, and built them again. And somewhere in that process, I watched two little girls stop asking "can I do this?" and start asking "how does this work?" — which is a much better question.
Word got out. Other parents noticed the change. Other kids wanted in. What started as something I was doing for my own daughters at our kitchen table turned into something I was doing for their friends, and then their friends' friends — and that's how Launch Hub Learning started.
That's what this program is still built on today.
The Skills for a Successful and Happy Life
The World Economic Forum consistently lists these skills as the most critical for the future workforce. They're the same building blocks I wanted for my own kids — and we build all of them, every session, every week:
- Complex problem solving — tackling real engineering challenges
- Critical thinking — evaluating options, testing hypotheses
- Creativity — designing original solutions from scratch
- People management — working in teams, sharing roles
- Coordinating with others — giving and receiving feedback
- Emotional intelligence — handling setbacks and celebrating wins
- Judgment and decision-making — choosing the right approach
- Service orientation — building things that help others
Source: World Economic Forum — Future of Jobs Report. These are the skills employers and researchers consistently identify as most valuable in the coming decades. We embed every one of them into our curriculum.
We're based in Reston, Virginia, serving the broader DMV area — Herndon, Sterling, Ashburn, and surrounding communities. Our instructors are passionate engineers and educators who genuinely love spending time with kids.
If you're a parent who wants more for your child than a screen and a worksheet after school — we'd love to meet your family.
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