Our StoryWe've been teaching kids art and technology techniques since 1997 ever since Howard presented "Star Wars for Kids" to a packed theater at a Lucasfilm open house. "Star Wars for Kids" demonstrated all of the different roles that go into making computer generated special effects in blockbuster movies.
Not long after, we rented four macs and taught four kids visual effects in our garage in Northern California under the name "VFX for Kids!". "VFX for Kids!" soon became "Enriching U" because we were teaching much more than visual effects. We added a number of camps to our roster and partnered up with Novato Parks and Recreation to hold in-person camps in our community. But, instead of four campers, we were teaching hundreds! We continue to add curriculum every year in an effort to not only enrich kids with content they're not receiving in school, but also to inspire them, just as Howard was inspired by Star Wars in 1977 when he was 10 years old! |
Our MissionOur mission is to enrich and inspire kids who might not otherwise have the means; to level the playing field and bring once exclusive enrichment opportunities to all kids.
"Make Movies. Make Games. Make Friends." |
Our Team
Julie, co-founder
Julie is the majority owner of Enriching U (making us a woman owned company) and it's her cool-headedness and business sense which keeps the rest of the family on track. Julie's the one who insisted we write a business plan before we built our website, and we're glad we did!
Julie's a Biology major from UC Irvine and she is also a Registered Nurse. |
Howard, co-founder/instructor
Howard began working in the Visual Effects industry in 1990. His work has appeared in over two dozen major motion pictures including the Star Wars, Pirates of the Caribbean and Harry Potter franchises. Howard has worked for Industrial Light + Magic, Disney and Rhythm and Hues Studios in Hollywood.
Howard’s dream at age ten was to work on Star Wars. Not only did he achieve that dream, but he worked on six Star Wars films, and he was even in two! His passion these days is to enrich and inspire your child to achieve his or her dreams and goals! Howard has been teaching visual effects to kids since 1997. He has been an online instructor at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco since 2006. He has also spoken and taught at many public and private schools in Marin County, CA. Howard teaches Digital Art, Animation, Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, Video Game Design, and Computer Science during the school year at Marin School of the Arts in Novato, CA. Howard is a Computer Science major from UC Irvine and he's even been inducted into UC Irvine's Computer Science Hall of Fame! In addition to computer science, he also studied art and design, as well as animation, film and video production. |
Noah, developer/instructor
Noah is a recent graduate from UC Santa Cruz where he majored in Computer Science. Noah spends his free time playing D&D with his friends, using Unreal Engine, helping his parents run Enriching U, world-building, or playing Star Citizen. We can't quite figure out how Noah's able to handle so many things at once!
After college, Noah plans to work on video game technology. |
General FAQ
Are your camps for boys or girls?
All of our camps are co-ed and available to everyone. Both boys and girls have shown interest in the material and have attended our camps.
Will there be "hands-on time" for the kids or is the camp purely informational?
Yes, the camps are definitely hands-on. The kids will be learning techniques and then using those techniques on the computer with our assistance.
Does my child need to bring their own computer to your in-person camps?
No, everything that they will need is included. We provide state-of-the-art hardware, software and video cameras. In fact, everything we use at camp is the same equipment we use in the industry. Several children have brought their own video cameras in the past and we are absolutely okay with that. However, it is not necessary nor is it a requirement.
All of our camps are co-ed and available to everyone. Both boys and girls have shown interest in the material and have attended our camps.
Will there be "hands-on time" for the kids or is the camp purely informational?
Yes, the camps are definitely hands-on. The kids will be learning techniques and then using those techniques on the computer with our assistance.
Does my child need to bring their own computer to your in-person camps?
No, everything that they will need is included. We provide state-of-the-art hardware, software and video cameras. In fact, everything we use at camp is the same equipment we use in the industry. Several children have brought their own video cameras in the past and we are absolutely okay with that. However, it is not necessary nor is it a requirement.
Testimonials
"Just wanted to let you know the magnitude of impact you actually had on [our son]: He is applying to Marin Catholic. One of the aspects of his application is to write an essay about a non-fictional or fictional person, alive or not, and he has chosen YOU!! He is writing about his experience with the class you gave. The subject idea was completely [our son's]. You should feel oh-so proud you had such influence on a 13 year old boy!! He speaks of you often. :) We are already looking forward to more of your classes!!"
-Ashley S, Parent "Your class was The Bomb. [my son] and [his friend] LOVED it. They just loved it!! They said it was fun and they learned A LOT." -Keith S, Parent |
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