Kala B.

Hands-On Robotics, Engineering & STEAM

Philadelphia

• I get just as excited as my students when a robot finally moves after we debug the code! 🤖
• I started SparkLab because I wanted more kids to have access to hands-on STEM experiences where they get to build, create, and experiment for themselves.
• I'm always turning everyday materials—from LEGO bricks to cardboard and Play-Doh—into engineering challenges.

Hi! I'm Kala Bard, founder and Program Director of SparkLab LLC, a hands-on STEM education company serving children and teens through robotics, engineering, coding, and science enrichment. My teaching approach is built around learning by doing. I believe students understand STEM best when they have an opportunity to build something, test an idea, make mistakes, troubleshoot, and try again. In my classes, students aren't just watching a demonstration—they're the engineers, programmers, designers, and problem-solvers. I design hands-on learning experiences that make technical concepts approachable and exciting. Depending on the course, students might build and program LEGO robots, investigate motors and sensors, tackle an engineering design challenge, experiment with structures and simple machines, or use coding to bring a physical creation to life. I especially enjoy creating activities where students work in teams, take on meaningful roles, and learn from one another while solving a challenge. Through SparkLab, I've delivered STEM programming in schools, libraries, recreation centers, and community settings with students across elementary and middle-school age groups. My goal is to create an environment where students feel comfortable experimenting, asking questions, and discovering just how much they're capable of creating. Most importantly, I want students to leave class excited to keep building, coding, investigating, and asking, “What can I make next?”