Sara Bernard is the CEO and co-founder of Smart Kids Educational Club Limited (Smart Kids), an educational services company that equips kids ages 2-17 years with the Digital and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics) Skills they need for the future. Smart Kids is renowned for being one of the leading Summer Tech Camps in Trinidad & Tobago training over 100 students annually and was recognized by the Ministry of Planning & Development as one of the best Tech Startups in Trinidad & Tobago in November 2018. The reason for Smart Kids’ success is Sara’s focus on ensuring that their workshops don’t just expose kids to technology but impart functional and advanced STEM Skills. Sara has led Smart Kids to many accomplishments including developing the first STEM workshops in Trinidad & Tobago for kids 5 years and under, coaching the team that received the Trophy for Best Mechanical Design in the FIRST LEGO League National Championship (2017 – 2018) and partnerships with the likes of bmobile, Methanex Trinidad Limited and Chuck E. Cheese’s.
Before launching Smart Kids, Sara spent over 15 years in the LNG industry-leading teams to manage risk and creating safe process engineering solutions. Sara has a BSc. in Chemical & Process Engineering from the University of the West Indies, a Post Graduate Diploma in Operations Research from The University of Strathclyde, and a Post Graduate Diploma in Leadership Practice & Responsibility from Lancaster University. As an engineer born and trained in Trinidad & Tobago, Sara got to experience first-hand the limitation and frustration of an education focused on teaching how to only apply principles with no room for exploration, discovery, and invention!
As a Team Leader in the LNG Industry, she saw the best & brightest Trinidad & Tobago has to offer to struggle to think critically. Now as a mother of two Sara is determined to shake up the education system of Trinidad & Tobago by creating a safe space for children to explore, create and innovate. Innovation is not an elusive trait saved only for the elite or developed nations. Innovation is a skill that can be nurtured through exploration, trial & error, and hands-on activities. Sara left her lucrative job in the Oil & Gas Industry because she wanted to do her part in helping Trinidad & Tobago make the transition to a tech-based economy. Her ultimate dream is for Trinidad & Tobago to become a Developed Nation with equitable and abundant opportunities for all citizen. The best way to do this, she feels, is through education. “I have decided to dedicate my life to providing opportunities for children to become active citizens and innovative problem-solvers who will enable Trinidad & Tobago to reach its full potential!”