IDEA Lab Kids Provides Fun STEAM Education Opportunities Year-Round and Under One Roof

With schools and children across the country struggling to keep up academically due to budget cuts and thinly-stretched resources, it’s comforting to know that franchise brands such as IDEA Lab Kids can help fill those gaps and provide major educational opportunities. IDEA Lab Kids creates spaces where children can explore their interests in STEAM—science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics—all at once and in one place, providing a fun environment for kids and an easy solution for busy parents. 

IDEA Lab Kids—the “IDEA” standing for “Innovate, Discover, Explore, Achieve”—was founded by Ghazal Qureshi in 2011. Qureshi, a computer scientist and mother of three who spent years working as a project manager for Boston Market, got the idea for the brand when she wanted her children to participate in an after-school program that would be fun but also academically challenging. She struggled to find options. 

“I wanted my children to be involved in things that expanded their horizons and opened their minds,” Qureshi said. “I have three kids with varied interests, which meant driving all over to take them to activities. IDEA Lab Kids is a one-stop-shop for exceptional STEAM learning, all under one roof.” 

IDEA Lab Kids originally started out in a rented space with 11 camps and started franchising in 2017. Today, IDEA Lab Kids has 10 locations and several more in various stages of franchise development. The brand has awarded 85 campuses to more than 24 franchisees, almost all of which will open their campuses by the fall of 2019. IDEA Lab Kids has extended far beyond its Houston roots and its international locations include campuses in Canada and Ecuador. The brand plans to grow to more than 700 locations worldwide. 

IDEA Lab Kids stands apart from the competition by providing a full STEAM educational solution. What’s more, all parts of STEAM are combined; there are no standalone silos—for example, kids can take cooking classes that also integrate the use of a 3-D printer. 

The brand also has its own innovation lab and leverages proprietary technology, such as an electronic delivery system for curricula. 

“This will track progress for kids and make it easy for franchisees to deliver curriculum,” Ghazal said. “It also provides parents with a window to their child’s progress.” 

In addition to after-school and preschool programs, IDEA Lab Kids provides summer camps, birthday parties, traveling classes, mobile popup workshops and onsite campuses for children ages 4 through 14. Kids can take a variety of classes, including coding, cooking, game design, robotics and virtual reality. Classes are taught by staff members recruited from local universities, and the student-to-instructor ratio is 12-to-1. The brand prides itself on providing a safe and inclusive environment for everyone involved.  

IDEA Lab Kids also gives back to the community through IDEA Lab STEAM Academy, which brings programs to under-served communities. Together, IDEA Lab Kids and IDEA Lab STEAM Academy are bringing best-in-class supplemental education—and discovery—opportunities to engaged students.

Full speed—sorry, STEAM—ahead! 

The total startup investment for IDEA Lab Kids ranges from $111,500 - $200,000 including a $35,000 single-unit and a $102,500 five-unit franchise fee. Financing options are available for those who qualify