While Geeks for Kids’ events run from August through June, our Design Team and Business Leaders Board meet year-round. These teams are the Super Geeks of Geeks for Kids, the folks who work behind the scenes to make it possible to get so many kids racing.
Design Team
Building these cars is an ultra-cool tech challenge. Initially, our Design Team chose an off-the-shelf toy, electric car that they could adapt to meet the needs of kids with movement limitations. Then, they designed drive systems, assistive devices and comfort and support systems that make these cars work for each kid we “adopt” – stripping the cars down and building them up with the coolest and must functional tech they can imagine. The Design Team is now hard at work, designing and prototyping a next generation vehicle that we will build from scratch to meet the needs of kids up to the age of 18 and to provide them with mobility inside as well as outdoors. Whatever the Design Team builds, they do it with one key goal in mind: to make it easy for each of our kids to move, learn and play.
This team:
- Evaluates what works well and what we can do better
- Sketches out new designs and systems for the kinds of cars we have built before
- Brainstorms about how we build new solutions for an ever-increasing number of kids
- Researches new parts and suppliers
- And, plans and prepares for the upcoming build season.
The Business Leaders Board
Geeks for Kids might sound like a job for geeky people, but it also requires serious business acumen, too. Designing and building a bunch of cars with an all-volunteer team is a bit like planning the invasion of Normandy; there are so many tools, supplies, people and projects and events to marshal and organize.
If you are a marketer, fundraiser, writer, a project manager, an event planner, or a networker extraordinaire, we need your help! The Business Leaders Board guides the Geeks for Kids operations; they:
- Manage community outreach and communication for Geeks for Kids
- Recruit volunteers, sponsors and donors
- Plan and manage events
- Define better work processes
- Identify and connect with new business partners
- Explore new projects and programs
- And, give LEARN's Board input on the Geeks for Kids mission, vision and goals.