Bricks and Beyond

Using Bricks and fun to explore
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (S.T.E.M.)

Kimberly Gustafson

Kimberly is a long-time resident of Whatcom County, an energetic wife and mother, and an active member of the Harmony Elementary PTA. It is characteristic for Kimberly to consistently seek out opportunities to be a positive force in her local community. Being idle is not one of her strong points!

As an involved mom and an advocate for hands-on learning, Kimberly realized that extracurricular actives were important to enhance and expand the minds of young people. With that in mind, Kimberly began looking for educational experiences for her son that would provide active, engaging learning opportunities her child would enjoy. She was excited when her search revealed the products offered by LEGO® Education and other educational toy companies.

Kimberly’s commitment to contributing to the community, teamed with a lifelong interest in early learning, contributed to her decision to launch her own small business based right here in Bellingham, WA. In 2010 Bricks and Beyond, LLC became a reality and began offering unique learning opportunities to the children of Whatcom County!

Kimberly is dedicated to offering each child who attends her classes an opportunity to have fun and learn. Even as an instructor and a business owner, Kimberly consistently views her classes with a mom-perspective. The questions on her mom check-list are:

Do the children feel safe both physically and emotionally in the classroom environment?
Do the facilitator’s words, actions, and choices consistently promote each child’s best interests?
Will the activities in each class result in the children learning the desired skills?
Is every child consistently involved in the class?
Is the workshop worth the time and cost investment?

She strives to ensure that all those important questions every parent will ask are consistently answered with a resounding, “Yes!”

Kimberly combines clear expectation with good humor, patience, and a great sense of fun to keep students on track and productive while ensuring everyone has a great time. She has innovative answers to wiggly bodies including LEGO Yoga stretching breaks!

Kimberly graduated from the University of California at San Marcos earning degrees in both Liberal Studies and Psychology. The focus of her studies was on the process of learning, a topic that has and continues to be an area of keen interest for Kimberly.

Her experiences as both a mother and an instructor have consistently reinforced her belief that children learn best through experience. Her continuing education has focused on parenting, early childhood development, and early childhood education; many of these classes Kimberly has taken right here in Whatcom County.