The Entrepreneurship Program That Changed my Homeschooled Son’s Life

By Travis Akin

Since the pandemic, nearly 2.6 million children switched from traditional school to homeschool. One of these children is 11-year-old entrepreneur Maxfield Himes, the Co-Founder of Astronade Lemonade. In 2020, Maxfield was accepted into Rocket Club Academy, a boutique Entrepreneurship & STEAM extracurricular program for children ages 7 to 14. Through Rocket Club Academy, Maxfield and other homeschooled students launched their own businesses and learned about topics such as Blockchain, Climate Science, Architecture, and other diverse topics not taught in traditional school systems.

I had the pleasure of sitting down with Maxfield's father Chris to discuss Maxfield's experience switching to homeschooling and why he believes Rocket Club Academy has changed his son's life.

Travis Akin: I’ll start with Congratulations! I know Maxfield is one of the Co-Founders of Astronade, the lemonade company that was just featured on Netflix Founder Marc Randolph’s podcast. How did Maxfield get this opportunity and what was this experience like for him and his teammates?

Chris Himes: Thank you! His team originally met Marc when Rocket Club invited him to co-host a business competition for the members, which Astronade won. I was amazed by what they accomplished together. They made a deal with a beverage distributor to white label lemonade with their logo, analyzed competitors in the market to find the right price, and struck a deal with international BBQ chain Mighty Quinn. After all that, being able to go on Marc's podcast to tell their story was so special, and it never could have been possible without Rocket Club Academy. I wish a program like this was available when I was younger.

Travis: That's so impressive. What else do they learn at Rocket Club other than starting their own businesses?

Chris: They all launch their own business in their first month. They used to do lemonade, but I've read in their newsletters that they've switched to designing and launching clothing lines. The members have made over $30,000 in sales in the last 6 months. After the first month, the students earn monthly Certifications. Maxfield has earned 18 of the 24 Series A Certifications. After Series A, he will start working on HarvardX Certifications and special projects. His favorite topics so far have been The Stock Market, The Metaverse, and Artificial Intelligence. The topic changes every month to cover different industries and cutting edge technologies.

Travis: These topics seem advanced for 7-14 year-olds. Do you think Maxfield is able to understand the topics? Also, do you think entrepreneurship is something that can actually be taught to children?

Chris: Rocket Club has figured out a way to introduce these topics in a way that is engaging for children. Members have opportunities to play interactive games to lock in their understanding and are rewarded with Rocket Fuel that they can cash in for prizes. Each month they take a final quiz to earn their certification and add it to their Rocket Club resume. There is typically a 60-70% pass rate.

In regards to learning entrepreneurship as a child, I think it's not just possible, but necessary. On top of their classes, members get to meet new Founders monthly where they hear about how these successful entrepreneurs have started their first business as children. I mean it makes complete sense to me how much easier it is for a child to be more natural with the concept of entrepreneurship, because of how creative they are and their ability to have no fear and so few limiting beliefs. The students are encouraged to take risks and redefine “failure" at an early age. I think it's fun to see what Maxfield and his peers are accomplishing now, but the really impressive thing will be seeing what they accomplish 10 years from now.

Travis: Why did you choose to homeschool Maxfield? How does Rocket Club fit into his schedule?

Chris: We sent our children to a rigorous private school. Our oldest is very academically minded and the school system worked for her, but we realized quickly that it didn't work for our second child. The traditional educational track is not the same for all children, in fact if you put children through the same system, it can really harm them. For Maxfield, it became really clear that he saw the world differently than his peers. When he started with Rocket Club, he finally found a community to share his imagination and a place where his ideas were heard and discussed. I’m not surprised a platform like Rocket Club has been successful with homeschooled children like Maxfield. Homeschool parents like me believe there are alternative ways to educate our children, and Maxfield's success after struggling with the traditional school system is proof.

Travis: Do you believe the combination of entrepreneurship with STEAM yields different results compared to traditional STEAM (coding & robotics) programs?

Chris: Yes, I think learning skills like coding and robotics are important, but those are skills most children are learning, and becoming commonplace. Learning how to put those skills into action is the difference. I relate it to learning to become a chef, or learning to own a restaurant. The chef has a specific focus and the owner has to deeply understand all the elements and how to bring it all together. When we started to homeschool, we were looking for specialized classes to tap into Maxfield’s strengths and that’s when we found Rocket Club. I describe Rocket Club as a business incubator for children who have interest in entrepreneurship, steam, imagination, and creativity. Even though it’s business they don’t necessarily think about it as just business. To Maxfield, he’s expressing his creativity.

Travis: What is the biggest change you have seen in Maxfield?

Chris: He feels less frustrated. Before Rocket Club, he had a lot of ideas and thoughts and while we tried to keep up with them as much as we could, we were getting exhausted. I was ready to give him a briefcase and a tie and send him into the city. He has a place where he can channel that energy so that it’s productive!

Travis: Did you consider any other entrepreneurship programs other than Rocket Club?

Chris: The only other entrepreneurship program I've heard of was in an Entrepreneur.com article where they compared Rocket Club to Elon Musk's Ad Astra school, but I know he shut that down when he moved his family to Texas. I'm not aware of anything else out there like Rocket Club. I guess we could have had Maxfield start a paper route, but it wouldn't be the same because although he's being entrepreneurial, he wouldn't be thinking about it on a larger scale and he wouldn't be collaborating with like-minded peers.

Travis: Does Maxfield attend Rocket Club Academy virtually or in-person?

Chris: Maxfield attends virtually although there is a location in Hoboken close to us. He decided to stay virtual because he started during the pandemic and it fits well in his schedule. He has a strong bond with his instructor and classmates. I like that his class has members from all over the country rather than just from around here.

Travis: What do you hope Maxfield becomes when he is older?

Chris: I just want Maxfield to be happy and fulfilled. I want him to keep tapping into his creativity, keep learning about industries, technologies, cultures, and keep pursuing his passions. If he keeps doing this, his confidence will continue to grow and he'll have an incredible chance at lifelong happiness!

More about Rocket Club Academy
Rocket Club was founded by Alex Hodara, an Ernst & Young Entrepreneurs of the Year Winner in 2021. Rocket Club’s Series A Certificate has been endorsed by famous entrepreneurs and over 400 guest speakers including founders from companies like Netflix, Beyond Meat, Relativity Space, Birchbox, Casper Mattresses, Chess.com, Harry’s Razors, and Bobbi Brown to name a few.

Learn More about the in-person and virtual learning options Rocket Club Academy provides, visit: www.RocketClub.com