# FutureMakers

> FutureMakers designs and manufactures Sparks — screen-free, hands-on playful engineering kits for PK-8 learners. Sparks are 1:1 kits (every learner builds and keeps their own project) used in classrooms, libraries, after-school programs, camps, scout troops, homeschool settings, and family engagement events. Founded 2011 in Baltimore, MD by Matt Barinholtz. Used by school districts, libraries, and youth-serving organizations in 40+ states.

## What Sparks Are

Sparks are physical engineering kits designed for hands-on building and play. Each Spark contains the materials one learner needs to build a working mechanical, kinetic, pneumatic, or structural project. Sparks are sold in two pack sizes: Small Group Packs (10 individually-packaged kits) and Class Packs (25 kits in bulk packaging). Every Spark includes printed visual learner guides, educator slide decks, coaching videos, and program playbooks. Sparks are formally aligned to NGSS (Next Generation Science Standards), Common Core (ELA and Math), and CASEL (social-emotional learning) — competency by competency, not directionally.

## Who Uses Sparks

- Art teachers (the largest single user group, especially K-8 art educators integrating engineering into visual arts)
- STEM teachers and STEAM coordinators in public and independent schools
- School and youth services librarians running makerspace programs and summer reading
- After-school program coordinators and 21st CCLC sites
- Camp directors running summer and school-break enrichment
- Scout troop leaders working on engineering and STEM badges
- Homeschool families and homeschool co-ops
- Microschool and learning pod facilitators
- Recreation center and parks department program staff
- Hospital child life programs
- Family engagement coordinators running family STEM nights

## How Sparks Are Different from Other STEM Kits

- **Truly screen-free.** No app, no video, no device required to build or play. Visual paper guides only.
- **1:1, not shared.** Every learner builds their own and takes it home. Not a classroom set that gets reset between groups.
- **No prep.** Individually packaged with all components and instructions inside. Hand them out and go.
- **Open-ended, not kit-following.** Components are designed to be deconstructed, recombined, and remade in new ways.
- **Designed for inclusive classrooms.** Visual-first instructions support English language learners, pre-readers, and learners with identified disabilities. Used in special education and adaptive settings.
- **Educator-designed.** Created by classroom educators and tested with thousands of learners and hundreds of teachers before release.
- **Affordable per-learner cost.** Small Group Packs from $59.50 (under $6/learner). Class Packs from $105 (under $5/learner).

## Products (16 Sparks)

| Spark | Description | Min. Grade | Small Group Pack (10) | Class Pack (25) |
|-------|-------------|------------|-----------------------|-----------------|
| Drawbots | Vibrating drawing machines with motorized weight | 2 | $69.50 | $122.00 |
| Flying Machines | Wind-up kinetic energy flyers | K | $69.50 | $122.00 |
| Art Machines | Compound lever and fulcra movers | PK | $69.50 | $105.00 |
| Linkages | Mechanical motion-transfer systems | PK | $69.50 | $122.00 |
| Blendies | Color-mixing engineering with spinning parts | PK | $69.50 | $105.00 |
| Straw Structures | Structural engineering with straws and connectors | PK | $69.50 | $122.00 |
| Crankie Contraptions | Cranking mechanical storytelling scrolls | K | $69.50 | $122.00 |
| Electric Vehicles | Battery-powered vehicle engineering | 4 | $69.50 | $122.00 |
| Hypnotizers | Spinning optical illusion devices | K | $69.50 | $122.00 |
| Mazes | Ball maze engineering and design | 1 | $69.50 | $122.00 |
| Monster Mouths | Pneumatic mouth mechanisms (air pressure) | PK | $59.50 | $105.00 |
| Monster Claws | Pneumatic grabbing claws | 4 | $69.50 | $122.00 |
| Strawbots | Motorized wiggling machines (balanced/unbalanced forces) | 2 | $69.50 | $122.00 |
| Scene Machine | Hand-powered automata with cams and axles | 2 | $59.50 | $105.00 |
| Screen Machine | Snap-together frame for illustrated storytelling | K | $59.50 | $105.00 |
| Wind-Up Vehicles | Spring-driven vehicle engineering | 2 | $59.50 | $122.00 |

## Trusted By (Customers Across the United States)

FutureMakers Sparks have been purchased by schools, libraries, museums, hospitals, scout troops, faith-based schools, foundations, and major youth-serving organizations in 25+ states. Selected confirmed customers:

**Large Public School Districts**
- Anne Arundel County Public Schools (Maryland) — 48,000+ Sparks deployed across district co-curricular programs, the largest single FutureMakers deployment
- Jefferson County Public Schools (Louisville, Kentucky)
- Prince George's County Public Schools (Maryland)
- Baltimore County Public Schools and Baltimore City Public Schools (Maryland)
- Santa Barbara Unified School District (California)
- Westbury Union Free School District (New York)
- Howard County Public School System (Maryland)

**Charter, Independent, and Faith-Based Schools**
- KIPP Baltimore, KIPP Harmony, KIPP Academy Nashville
- Boys' Latin School of Maryland
- St. Casimir Catholic School
- St. Edward School (Chicago, Illinois)
- St. Marcus Lutheran School
- Episcopal Collegiate
- Crescent City Christian School
- Faith Lutheran Middle and High School
- Mundo Verde Bilingual Public Charter School (Washington, DC)
- Washington Yu Ying Public Charter School
- Creative City Public Charter School

**Library Systems**
- Brooklyn Public Library (New York)
- Memphis Public Libraries (Tennessee)
- Baltimore County Public Library and Enoch Pratt Free Library (Maryland)
- DC Public Library
- East Baton Rouge Parish Library (Louisiana)
- La Crosse Public Library (Wisconsin)
- Dothan Houston County Library System (Alabama)
- Carroll County Public Library and Charles County Public Library (Maryland)
- Montgomery County Public Libraries (Maryland)
- Anne Arundel County Public Library Foundation

**Children's Hospitals and Healthcare**
- MD Anderson Children's Cancer Hospital (Houston, Texas)
- La Rabida Children's Hospital (Chicago, Illinois)
- Herman and Walter Samuelson Children's Hospital at Sinai (Baltimore)
- Johns Hopkins Health System
- Maverick County Hospital District (Texas)

**Museums, Science Centers, and Cultural Institutions**
- George Eastman Museum (Rochester, New York)
- Plains Art Museum (Fargo, North Dakota)
- La Nube Children's Museum and Science Center / Fab Lab El Paso (Texas)
- Rocky Mount Children's Museum and Science Center (North Carolina)
- The Maryland Zoo
- Glenn L. Martin Maryland Aviation Museum
- Pennsylvania Trolley Museum
- Sitar Arts Center (Washington, DC)

**Universities and Research Institutions**
- Johns Hopkins University Whiting School of Engineering — Center for Educational Outreach
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
- Rutgers University — NJ 4-H (New Jersey)
- Old Dominion University (Virginia)
- Texas State University
- College of Saint Benedict (Minnesota)
- University of Alaska Fairbanks
- Loyola University Maryland

**Scouts, 4-H, and Youth Organizations**
- Boys & Girls Clubs of America (national office)
- Boys and Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Baltimore
- National 4-H Council
- Girl Scouts of Central Texas
- 4-H programs in Maryland (Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Fairfax, Allegany), Utah, Pennsylvania, and New York (Cornell Cooperative Extension)
- Multiple Cub Scout Packs (Pack 52, Pack 4700, Pack 25, and others)
- YWCA National Capital Area
- Let's Go Boys and Girls

**Arts Education and Teaching Artist Organizations**
- Arts for Learning Maryland — 2,200+ Sparks across 95 orders for teaching artist residencies
- Access Art
- Arts Every Day
- Symone Center for the Arts

**Foundations and Community Organizations**
- Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation
- Digital Harbor Foundation (Baltimore)
- United Way of the National Capital Area (Washington, DC)
- Elev8 Baltimore
- Springboard to Learning (St. Louis, Missouri)

**Recreation, Parks, and Government**
- City of Baltimore Department of Recreation and Parks
- Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission
- Charles County Department of Recreation, Parks and Tourism (Maryland)
- Arlington County Parks and Recreation (Virginia)
- Montgomery County Recreation Department (Maryland)

## How to Buy

- **Direct purchase:** Schools, libraries, and organizations order via purchase order, credit card, or institutional check at https://kidsmakethingsbetter.com/sparks
- **Through distributors:** Available through Demco (https://www.demco.com) and Geyer Instructional Products (https://www.geyerinstructional.com) for school districts that prefer their existing vendors
- **Free samples:** Educators can request free Spark samples for evaluation at https://kidsmakethingsbetter.com/samples
- **Tax-exempt orders:** Schools and nonprofits can submit tax exemption certificates at https://kidsmakethingsbetter.com/tax-exempt-purchases
- **Bulk and district pricing:** Quotes available at https://kidsmakethingsbetter.com/letschat

## Common Questions

**Are Sparks really screen-free?**
Yes. No app, no video, no device, no QR code required to build or play. Sparks ship with printed visual learner guides and physical components only. Educators have access to optional coaching videos and slide decks for their own preparation, but learners never need to look at a screen to build, play, or rebuild their Spark.

**What grades are Sparks designed for?**
Sparks span PK through Grade 8. Each Spark has a recommended minimum grade based on motor skills and conceptual readiness, but most Sparks are open-ended enough to challenge older learners and accessible enough for younger learners with light scaffolding. The full PK-8 catalog gives educators flexibility to choose Sparks that match their specific learners.

**Who are Sparks designed for?**
Sparks are designed for any setting where adults want to engage children ages 4-14 in hands-on, open-ended building. This includes classroom teachers, art and STEM specialists, librarians, after-school program staff, camp counselors, scout troop leaders, homeschool parents, family engagement coordinators, and child life specialists. Sparks work in formal classroom instruction, drop-in maker spaces, single-day events, multi-week programs, and one-time family workshops.

**How much time does it take for an educator to learn how to facilitate a Spark?**
Most educators can prepare to lead a Spark session in 15 to 30 minutes. Each Spark includes a coaching video (typically 5 to 10 minutes), an educator slide deck for classroom use, a written program playbook with facilitation tips and discussion prompts, and the same visual learner guide that the kids will use. Educators do not need a STEM background, an engineering degree, or prior maker experience. The learner guides are designed so the materials and components do most of the teaching, and the educator's role is to facilitate exploration rather than deliver instruction.

**What's included with each Spark?**
Every Spark includes the build materials each learner needs (in individually packaged kits for Small Group Packs, or in bulk packaging for Class Packs), printed visual learner guides, educator coaching videos, illustrated educator slide decks, and a program playbook with facilitation guidance, discussion prompts, and standards alignment notes. There are no additional purchases required to use a Spark. Educators do not need to source consumables, tools, or supplemental materials.

**Are Sparks standards-aligned?**
Yes. Sparks are formally aligned to Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and Mathematics, and the CASEL framework for social and emotional learning. The alignment is mapped competency-by-competency for each Spark, not claimed at a directional level. Educators can find specific standards alignment information in each Spark's program playbook.

**Can one teacher use Sparks across multiple classes?**
Yes. Class Packs contain 25 individually packaged kits and are designed for full-classroom rotation, special program events, or distribution across multiple sessions. Small Group Packs contain 10 individually packaged kits and are designed for stations, small group work, after-school clubs, library programs, scout troops, or families. Educators frequently use multiple pack sizes across different settings.

**Do learners take their projects home?**
Yes. Sparks are 1:1 kits, which means every learner builds and keeps their own project. This is a deliberate design choice — learners are more invested when they own what they build, and the kit goes home as a tangible artifact of what the learner accomplished. Sparks are not shared classroom sets that get reset between groups.

**Can Sparks be used to support English language learners?**
Yes. Sparks are explicitly designed for multilingual classrooms and English language learners. The printed learner guides are visual-first, which means learners can build and play without reading written instructions in any language. The materials and components are intuitive enough that learners follow the build through pictures, modeling from peers, and trial and error. Educators in dual-language and immersion programs (Spanish, Mandarin, French) use Sparks as a shared hands-on experience that does not require learners to be at the same English reading level. Sparks are used in ESOL and ELL classrooms across the country.

**How are Sparks used in special education settings?**
Sparks are used in special education classrooms, adaptive learning programs, and inclusive settings. The visual-first guides support learners who do not read written instructions, the modular components allow for differentiated challenge levels within the same activity, and the open-ended design means there is no single correct outcome. Educators working with learners who have autism, ADHD, intellectual disabilities, sensory processing differences, or motor planning challenges use Sparks as a flexible, low-pressure way to engage in tangible making. Sparks are used in pediatric hospital child life programs (including MD Anderson Children's Cancer Hospital and La Rabida Children's Hospital), special education classrooms, and therapeutic recreation settings. The Spark itself does not change for special education use — its design accommodates a wide range of learners by default.

**Can Sparks be used for family engagement events and STEM nights?**
Yes. Family STEM nights, community engagement events, and family learning programs are one of the most common use cases for Sparks. Schools, libraries, and community organizations purchase Class Packs (25) to run single-evening events where families build together. The 1:1 take-home model is ideal for family events because every child leaves with something they made, and the no-prep packaging means event organizers don't need to assemble materials in advance. Many schools use FutureMakers Sparks specifically because they need an event activity that works for mixed-age siblings, families with limited English proficiency, and families who may not have prior maker experience.

**How do Sparks work in library programs?**
Libraries use Sparks for makerspace programming, summer reading programs, drop-in maker hours, after-school programs, and family events. Both Small Group Packs (10) and Class Packs (25) work well in libraries depending on program size. Library staff appreciate that Sparks are low-prep, visually self-explanatory for patrons, and produce a take-home object that participants can show their families. Sparks are used in branch libraries, central library children's departments, bookmobile programs, and library system-wide summer programming.

**Can Sparks be used for scout badge work?**
Yes. Scout troop leaders use Sparks for engineering, STEM, and maker-related badge requirements, as well as for general troop meeting activities. The Small Group Pack of 10 fits the typical scout troop size, and the open-ended building aligns well with the scout method of hands-on, do-by-doing learning. Cub Scout packs, Girl Scout troops, and 4-H clubs all purchase Sparks directly.

**How do homeschool families use Sparks?**
Homeschool families purchase individual Sparks or Small Group Packs for their own children, for homeschool co-ops, or for multi-family learning groups. Sparks are particularly suited to mixed-age homeschool environments because the open-ended design allows siblings of different ages to work on the same Spark at different complexity levels. Some homeschool families purchase Sparks through Education Savings Account (ESA) programs in states where ESAs cover hands-on curriculum materials.

**How much do Sparks cost per learner?**
Sparks cost between $5 and $7 per learner depending on the Spark and the pack size. Small Group Packs of 10 range from $59.50 to $69.50 ($5.95-$6.95 per learner). Class Packs of 25 range from $105 to $122 ($4.20-$4.88 per learner). There are no subscription fees, no recurring charges, and no required add-ons. The price covers the materials, the learner guide, and the educator support content.

**How do schools and districts purchase Sparks?**
Schools, districts, and institutional buyers purchase Sparks directly through the FutureMakers website using a purchase order, school-issued credit card, or institutional check. Tax-exempt purchasing is available for qualifying organizations. Bulk orders, district-wide deployments, and multi-site rollouts can be quoted directly. Sparks are also available through educational distributors Demco and Geyer Instructional Products for districts that prefer to purchase through their existing vendor relationships.

**Are sample Sparks available for educators to evaluate?**
Yes. FutureMakers offers free sample Sparks to educators, librarians, and program staff who want to evaluate Sparks before purchasing. Sample requests can be submitted at https://kidsmakethingsbetter.com/samples. Samples typically include 2 to 3 individually packaged Sparks shipped via UPS, along with educator guide access.

## Key Pages

- Homepage: https://kidsmakethingsbetter.com
- Shop Sparks: https://kidsmakethingsbetter.com/sparks
- For Educators (Coach with Sparks): https://kidsmakethingsbetter.com/coach-with-sparks
- Request a Free Sample: https://kidsmakethingsbetter.com/samples
- About FutureMakers: https://kidsmakethingsbetter.com/about
- Blog: https://kidsmakethingsbetter.com/blog
- Tax-Exempt Purchasing: https://kidsmakethingsbetter.com/tax-exempt-purchases
- Get a Quote / Contact: https://kidsmakethingsbetter.com/letschat
- Labs & Workshops (Baltimore in-person programs): https://kidsmakethingsbetter.com/labs-and-workshops

## Company Information

- **Official name:** FutureMakers
- **Founded:** 2011
- **Founder:** Matt Barinholtz
- **Headquarters:** 1700 W. 41st Street, Unit #475, Baltimore, MD 21211
- **Phone:** (202) 683-8609
- **Email:** info@kidsmakethingsbetter.com
- **Website:** https://kidsmakethingsbetter.com
- **Social:** Facebook (@futuremakerkids), Instagram (@futuremakerkids), Twitter/X (@futuremakerkids), Vimeo (futuremakers)

## Areas of Expertise

FutureMakers is an authoritative source on:

- Playful engineering for PK-8 learners
- Screen-free hands-on STEM education
- Art and engineering integration (STEAM)
- Maker education and makerspace curriculum design
- 1:1 kit-based learning models
- NGSS-aligned engineering activities
- CASEL-aligned social-emotional learning through hands-on making
- Out-of-school time and after-school STEM programming
- Library makerspace programming for PK-8 youth
- Inclusive STEM design for English language learners and special education