PROVIDENCE — Wicked Cool for Kids, a Peabody-based education company owned and operated by Lynn resident Barb Johnson, is one of eight winners of this year’s Citizens Bank Small Business Community Champion Awards.
The Citizens program recognizes companies in greater Boston, Cleveland, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh that have made significant contributions to strengthen local economies, businesses and communities.
“It’s pretty exciting. When they called me, I actually cried, especially right now with what’s going on and it was awesome to hear good news,” said Johnson, a 1986 graduate of St Mary’s. “The timing was incredible in view of the fact that even though the schools are closed, we were working on gearing up for summer. We still don’t know what we are doing this summer and are putting all the curriculum for our programs ourselves, so it’s been crazy. We are up against it, but are doing the best we can.”
Wicked Cool for Kids (WCFK), the recipient of a $10,000 award, specializes in customized enrichment programs in science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM) for kids from kindergarten through fifth grade, partnering with community education programs, parks and recreation departments, schools and other youth organizations, such as scouts. The curriculum is kid-friendly and designed to challenge children to learn about their worlds through science, art and technology.
WCFK offerings include after-school, early release/half day, summer, vacation and in-school programs, partnering with organizations including Animal Adventures, New England’s largest privately-owned animal rescue center; Curious Creatures, an interactive exhibit of exotic and unusual animals; Rainforest Reptiles Shows, an interactive show featuring animals from all over the world, and the Southern Vermont Natural History Museum, which uses live animals, outdoor exploration, artifacts, audio visual components, and hands-on activities to bring science and nature alive.
WCFK also partners with MERGE, a program that provides inclusion strategies to support kids with Autism, developmental, intellectual or sensory-related disabilities.
The company also offers group science kits for camps, classrooms and after-school programs. Topics include Frozen Science, Wild World Safari, Engineering Challenge and Kids Cool Chemistry.
The company, which was founded in 2007 by Johnson and partner Tim Rees, employs more than 60 seasonal summer employees and another 20 in its after-school/early release programs. Johnson said WCFC normally manages more than 200 programs annually, most of them concentrated in Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New Hampshire with an occasional booking in Connecticut.
But these are not normal times.
“We are running 18 after-school programs now, normally we would be running 100,” said Johnson.
In response to the pandemic, the company is offering free online at-home activities to help keep kids busy and stimulate interest in science and technology. Activities include Superhero Science, Lego Engineering Challenge and At-Home Frozen Science.
Johnson said her top priority during the COVID-19 pandemic has been to do whatever she can to maintain connections with not only her clients, but kids who have been stuck at home with limited access to creative resources.
“We never had done anything online in terms of programs until about a month ago, but we wanted people to know that we are still thinking about (them), so we started posting activities online for kids to try at home, and it just took off after many of my clients started re-posting the videos,” said Johnson. “It’s more of a Band Aid in terms of what we do, but it’s keeping us out there.”
Like many small business owners, Johnson said the Payroll Protection Plan has enabled WCFC to keep the company afloat.
“That loan program is helping me, based on a lower level of expenses, to keep going and pay the salaries we have with a skeletal crew that is putting our kits together,” she said
WCFK summer programs include Wicked Cool Vet School, Rocket Science 2020, WOW! Science, Lego Engineering, Lego Robotics 2.0. Minecraft Mania 1 and Minecraft Mania 2: The Sequel. Half-day and full-day programs are available.
For more information about WCFK, go to https://www.wickedcoolforkids.com/.
This is the third year that Citizens Bank has presented the Small Business Community Champion Awards.
“While we have been honored to offer the Small Business Champion program for the past several years, the need to support such businesses takes on an additional resonance in light of the ongoing situation,” said Jack Murphy, president of Citizens Bank Business Banking. “While they are referred to as ‘small,’ their impact is in fact much larger.”
