About Us

Our story so far!

Buildup STEAM embarked on its journey in 2017 when visionary brothers John and Tom McInerney decided to dream big. Fueled by John's fervor for building and creating, he was inspired to empower others to step away from the stress and chaos of the world through the medium of play. With seven years of experience teaching kids at diverse engineering, robotics, and STEAM workshops, John's mission became clear: to bring the joy of creation to those who needed it the most.

John initiated his mission by volunteering at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, introducing LEGOs for in-hospital events. Collaborating with Child Life, they organized a LEGO party, providing patients and families with an opportunity to escape their rooms, socialize, and engage in play together. This groundbreaking inpatient event hosted over 100 people, marking a significant milestone for the hospital. Encouraged by its success, John collaborated with the Patient Technology Program and Infection Prevention Team to establish the Buildup STEAM bedside robotics program. This initiative aimed to extend creative opportunities to patients who were not able to leave their room to attend larger events. In the inaugural year at Mott, John directly impacted the lives of 300+ children at the bedside.

Transitioning from direct bedside interventions, John is now actively involved in a broader vision of national expansion for Buildup STEAM. This strategic shift enabled him to bring the program to life at renowned institutions such as C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, Children’s Hospital of Michigan, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Comer Children’s, and Children’s Hospital of Colorado. As the organization continues to grow, the commitment to bringing the joy of creative learning remains unwavering.

Thousands

of children helped using the buildup steam bedside robotics program

Hospitals

join our mission

Partnership

Buildup STEAM partners with Child Life programs to provide bedside robotics to patients and families in the hospital. Once we determine a sanitation process that meets your hospital's standards, we identify operational areas. We have found success working with general inpatient pediatric units and Hem/Onc units.

Current Hospital Partners
Mott Children’s Hospital
Children’s Hospital of Michigan
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Comer Children’s Hospital
Children’s Hospital Colorado

Fundraising

We collaborate with you and your team to write grants. Additionally, we assess if we need to seek funds to hire a staff member to operate the program, or if someone on your team can integrate this program into their workflow. Fundraising efforts are directed towards purchasing necessary materials for program success, supporting ongoing Buildup STEAM consultation, and potentially creating a new paid position to operate the program.

Infection Control

Buildup STEAM works with hospital staff and infection prevention professionals to ensure our sanitation process exceeds the standards of the hospital setting. Our sanitation process ensures all materials are sanitized before and after entering a patient's room. After materials are used they are immediately sanitized. All interactions meet standard hospital procedures and best practices to ensure every interaction is safe and fun for the patients and families we serve.

Our COVID-19 practices meet the hospital standard for medical professionals working onsite and are subject to change based on the needs and standards of the hospitals.

Launch

Once funding is secured, we procure all materials and construct the cart to be sent to your hospital. We provide training to the program coordinator to execute necessary tasks for smooth program operation and to ensure an excellent experience for patients. As part of our process, we complete a survey to record the quantity and quality of interactions, ensuring compliance with HIPAA regulations by not collecting personal patient information. All collected data is shared with Child Life and hospital partners to demonstrate the program's success in your hospital.

Continued consultation

Buildup STEAM provides comprehensive support to its educators through various channels. This includes thorough training sessions for Buildup Educators, supplemented by ongoing assistance via Zoom, calls, texts, and emails. A robust data capture system ensures efficient monitoring of progress and feedback. Regular monthly Zoom meetings facilitate close collaboration between Buildup STEAM employees and educators at partner hospitals, fostering a dynamic exchange of ideas and updates. Additionally, the organization ensures seamless integration with LEGO evolving robotics systems by providing complete updates to robots, instructions, and related materials. Unlimited replacement parts for all cart materials are offered, ensuring uninterrupted learning experiences. Collaborative efforts extend to working with Infection Control & Epidemiology departments to develop optimal protocols for cart and material sanitation. Furthermore, educators have the flexibility to incorporate customized projects into their curriculum, supported by assistance with fundraising events and access to grant resources for sustained program success.

Child Life goals & benefits

Offering a variety of therapeutic activities, our programs provide a brief escape for patients, encouraging creativity, positivity, and self-expression to enhance their well-being.

Patient well-being: Enhancing a patient's sense of control and independence.
Mobile adaptation: Facilitating access to a therapeutic creative service, overcoming barriers imposed by specific diagnoses or conditions.
Family centered care: Engaging parents and siblings equally interested in the project.
Fine motor skills: Engaging in activities like picking up, squeezing, and pushing LEGO together.
Normalization: Introducing familiar activities into the hospital environment to create a comforting atmosphere, promoting positive coping.
Socialization: Fostering bedside and group social interactions, especially crucial for patients in isolated rooms due to precaution policies.
Non-Pharmacological Pain Management: Providing a constructive focus to distract patients from pain, stress, or anxiety they may be experiencing.

STEAM is Important

Keep building up

STEAM, with its integration of various disciplines and learning avenues, plays a vital role in nurturing children's development. Through interactive play, children engage in problem-solving activities in an enjoyable and dynamic manner. They ponder questions like how spinning components drive other parts and delve into understanding the mechanisms behind motors and sensors, fostering their curiosity and critical thinking.

Throughout the process of building, children explore these concepts, formulating their hypotheses, and conducting experiments to test their ideas. This hands-on approach empowers them to develop a deeper understanding of how things work and why, cultivating their analytical skills and creativity.

In settings such as hospitals, STEAM not only serves as an educational tool but also proves therapeutic. It motivates children with limited mobility to engage in physical activities like standing, bending, and stretching while controlling their robots, promoting movement and exercise. Moreover, it aids in enhancing fine motor skills and dexterity, as seen when children manipulate bricks or components. Importantly, STEAM activities offer a welcome distraction from pain, medical procedures, or surgeries, redirecting children's focus towards an enriching and engaging experience, thereby contributing to their overall well-being.

STEAM is important because it helps teachers incorporate multiple disciplines at the same time and promotes learning experiences that allow children to explore, question, research, discover, and exercise innovative building skills.

(Colker and Simon, 2014)

Science

In the process of constructing a build, children actively form and test hypotheses, embodying the essence of science as a systematic and logical approach to unraveling the workings of the universe.

Technology

Buildup STEAM offers a hands-on and interactive technological learning experience, where children not only design but also take control of the robot's functions through an intuitive application.

Engineering

Children enthusiastically embrace engineering traits, like inventing, innovating, designing, and building, to construct robots. These activities develop technical skills, problem-solving, and creative thinking, enriching their engineering learning.

Arts

By encouraging the use of a variety of colors and bricks, Buildup STEAM empowers children to put their own creative spin on each project, fostering an intersection of artistic expression and STEM learning.

Math

Counting bricks fosters a friendly introduction to numbers for young kids and serves as a foundation for older ones to explore advanced math with LEGO. They learn to determine needed pieces, understand quantities, and grasp reasons behind their choices.

Board of Directors