Highlights

  • Drawing upon her personal experience in struggling to learn how to read, Shea is inspiring confidence in the next generation of school children with her series of kits that teach children to identify and explore problems, brainstorm and develop innovative ideas, build and prototype concepts, and practice their presentational skills.

  • She credits UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 and as crucial resources that complemented the knowledge she gained in her coursework to start her company, Innovation Station LLC, during her last semester at UCF.

  • The kits will debut in nine Tampa-area elementary schools this semester through local nonprofit High 5, Inc., which offers a variety of after-school and recreational programs, and Shea hopes to eventually partner with school districts to get them into classrooms.

UCF alum Kelly Shea ’23 understands first-hand the academic challenges some children struggle with in the classroom. After all, she was once one of them.

麻豆精品 S淪chool just didn 麻豆精品 S檛 make sense to me, 麻豆精品 S� says the elementary education grad, who couldn 麻豆精品 S檛 read until midway through elementary school.

Those early challenges have been integral to Shea 麻豆精品 S檚 career path as an educational entrepreneur. They also fuel the 麻豆精品 S渨hy 麻豆精品 S� behind her mission to empower young students through her start-up business that offers invention education kits for kids.

Making Sense of School

Growing up, Shea recalls struggling in every subject, especially reading, during her elementary school years.

麻豆精品 S淚 had trouble comprehending things, 麻豆精品 S� says the 23-year-old, who has since written and published four children 麻豆精品 S檚 books. 麻豆精品 S淢y first-grade teacher, Ms. Shepard, was the one who recognized I was having problems. I met with her almost weekly throughout second grade for extra support. Things finally started clicking for me in middle school, but I struggled a lot early on. 麻豆精品 S�

She got involved with a Tampa-area nonprofit called Girls With Confidence, which empowers young girls in developing positive self-esteem. As she got older, she began volunteering and taking on more leadership roles with the organization.

麻豆精品 S淚 would come up with activities and games for their programming and realized that I love teaching and creating impact, like how people did for me, 麻豆精品 S� she says. 麻豆精品 S淚 just loved working with kids. I wanted to help them find solutions to their struggles because I was there once, too. 麻豆精品 S�

Shea carried that determination and creative, problem-solving spirit throughout her time in and leveraged it to create two businesses before she graduated. She credits UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 and as crucial resources that complemented the knowledge she gained in her coursework, ultimately fueling her career path today with Innovation Station LLC.

Kelly Shea, in pink t shirt and jeans, sits at a table that displays two innovation kits
The series of kits for K-5 students teaches them through the basics of hands-on learning. (Photo by Antoine Hart)

Connecting Education and Entrepreneurship

While taking the Careers in K-12 Education course with Cristina S谩enz 麻豆精品 S�22PhD 麻豆精品 S� now an invention education manager for Massachusetts Institute of Technology 麻豆精品 S檚 Lemelson-MIT Program 麻豆精品 S� Shea had her light bulb moment: She could bridge her passion for education with her entrepreneurship endeavors.

Invention education is a learning approach that challenges students through hands-on problem-solving. Shea often saw this play out during her internship with , where young patients face educational challenges due to injuries and illnesses.

麻豆精品 S淎t Nemours, I saw how kids with cerebral palsy adapt things for their needs, and it inspired me because that 麻豆精品 S檚 what invention is about, 麻豆精品 S� she says. 麻豆精品 S淚 thought, 麻豆精品 S榃hy don 麻豆精品 S檛 I create a series of kits for K-5 students that teaches them to go back to the basics of hands-on learning? 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S�

With that, Innovation Station LLC was born during her last semester at UCF.

Each of Shea’s kits includes a relatable storybook 麻豆精品 S� written by Shea 麻豆精品 S� as well as guided activities, worksheets, crafting supplies, and lesson resources for teachers. (Photo by Antoine Hart)

Empowering Tomorrow 麻豆精品 S檚 Innovators

Through Innovation Station, Shea offers a series of four invention education kits that teach children to identify and explore problems, brainstorm and develop innovative ideas, build and prototype concepts, and practice their presentational skills.

Each kit includes a relatable storybook 麻豆精品 S� written by Shea herself 麻豆精品 S� as well as guided activities, worksheets, crafting supplies, and lesson resources for teachers. Even the packaging is designed to be used as part of the inventive process. With the final kit in the series, students cut off the sides of the box to make into a poster board they 麻豆精品 S檒l use to pitch their product.

麻豆精品 S淭hey 麻豆精品 S檙e reminded that their product is a prototype; it’s not going to be perfect, and failure is OK because we can always fix things based on what we learn from it,” she says. 麻豆精品 S淭hey learn how to communicate their brand with problem and solution statements. The books also cover easing those presentation nerves and learning to support your friends even if you 麻豆精品 S檙e competing.”

Prior to launching Innovation Station kits in July 2025, she conducted a six-week focus group with the Girls Scouts of Citrus Council, where she was able to test the kits with girls ranging from 4 to 12 years old. One 4-year-old invented a soft pencil because she was just learning to write, and regular pencils hurt her hand.

“It’s meant to teach them to be problem-solvers,” she says.

Since then, Shea has been promoting Innovation Station kits while also working in manufacturing, helping others bring their own inventions to life. She is piloting the kits this semester in partnership with fellow teacher education alum Chuck Burgess 麻豆精品 S�92. The kits will debut in nine Tampa-area elementary schools through local nonprofit High 5, Inc., which offers a variety of after-school and recreational programs.

麻豆精品 S淚 took a chance on myself, and I decided that this is what I want to do. 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� Kelly Shea ’23

She aspires to collaborate with school districts to introduce them into today 麻豆精品 S檚 classrooms.

麻豆精品 S淚 took a chance on myself, and I decided that this is what I want to do, 麻豆精品 S� she says. 麻豆精品 S淚 want to inspire and have an impact on the next generation and help create core memories by facilitating those light-bulb moments of, 麻豆精品 S榃ow, I can be an entrepreneur. 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S�