Welcome!
We’re passionate about making a measurable impact in all we do.
– Tikya Nattiel, CEO
At Whiz Kidz, The Imagination Learning Station, we imagined education from the eyes of a child, in order to create a unique model that combines fun, creative thinking, kinesthetics, and rigor to provide a memorable learning experience like no other. We strive to provide a safe, fun, rigorous and empowering afterschool enrichment program for latter primary to early secondary students.
It is our commitment to provide exceptional personalized learning experiences for students and parents to ensure that our students are excelling and enhancing both their academic and social skills that extend beyond the classroom setting. The top tutors and teachers of English Language Arts, Math, Science and History enrich students in the aforementioned subject area(s) of choice, to ensure students are making noticeable academic gains, reaching quarterly academic goals, and excelling to prepare for classroom success as well as state mandated testing.
In addition to sharpening a child’s academic tool box, we also mentor our students and provide daily opportunities to enhance their leadership, character, and social skills. At Whiz Kidz, we teach the WHOLE CHILD!
what we do
Our Mission
It is our mission to provide high quality afterschool care, academic and social enrichment to elementary-secondary aged students. We will provide students with the necessary resources in order to enhance their leadership, academic, professional and social skills by the end of each school year. Strong afterschool programs help underachieving students to make academic gains, excelling students to avoid stagnation, and motivate and empower at-risk children to take more positive paths in life. Our company will embody each of those statistics to ensure that our students not only become quality intellectuals, but also good people with substance and character..
our Focus
Did Someone Say WhizELA?
Though we offer enrichment to all core subjects, we have a strong focus on English Language Arts (ELA) and Reading, because research shows that one of the essential components to overall academic success is the ability to understand foundational reading skills and concepts, because reading is a fundamental part of every other academic subject. Also, many children struggle in reading for a plethora of reasons ranging from fluency, decoding, recognition, reading level, comprehension, or even simply a lack of focus or attention span. We have taken all of these components into consideration to offer the perfect learning experience for ELA curriculum.
English Language Arts is a subject that encompasses a plethora of necessary academic skills including but not limited to reading, writing, speaking, and listening, which all work hand-in-hand towards academic success. Additionally, on many state mandated tests, especially in 3rd grade, if students do not pass the Reading component of the assessment, they place themselves at risk of possible retention. Because of this, we aim to strengthen foundational skills in each component of the ELA subject area: Reading (informational text, literature, and foundational skills), Writing, Speaking & Listening, and Language.
The Whiz Way
We understand that not all students learning the same, that is why we pride ourselves on not “teaching to a test”. Here we bring learning to life in ways that all students can learn. We will ensure that every child is treated with equal care and is learning and growing every day. With the best team in place, it is our mission to obtain the complete satisfaction of our students and parents.
who we are
Meet the Whizards
Whizard Headmistress (CEO)
Tikya Nattiel
Our CEO/Founder, Tikya Nattiel is a current PhD student pursing a doctorate degree in Educational Leadership. She graduated with a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida college of Journalism and Mass Communications, as well as a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction with an English concentration from Florida International University, graduating with Summa Cum Laude honors. With academic accolades that include participating in multiple honors organizations such as Golden Key International Honour Society, and being on the Dean’s list for over 5 semesters with both degrees combined, Nattiel has always valued the importance of education and hard work.
Through college, she has always had a passion for working with children at the YMCA and Boys and Girls Club, as well as offering tutoring services to elementary through high school students. Working as an English teacher for the past 5 years, Nattiel has had the opportunity to understand the significance of academics from the inside. With a personal classroom mission to increase both academic success as well as leadership skills in each of her students, she embodies innovation, empowerment, dedication, and engagement in the classroom. Nattiel has received multiple career awards, such as “Teacher of the Month”, “Outstanding Student Growth”, the “Broward County Innovative Teacher Award”, as well as being invited to and attending the 2018 Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) conference for leaders in education.
Nattiel’s academic, personal, and professional journey is what triggered the idea to create Whiz Kidz, The Imagination Learning Station in order to bring education to life for students. Teaching English taught her that not all children learn the same, however they all have the capability to learn if a teacher takes the time to learn how to teach them in an innovative and creative manner that suits their learning style. Her personal experience with creating engaging lessons that generated and resulted in academic success and learning gains in even the lowest of students (some two or more grade levels behind), supports the overall structure of her business model. It is her personal mission to engage and enrich every student that walks through the doors of her business, with hopes to help struggling students regain a love for learning.
Whizard Deputy Headmaster (CFO)
Ralph Webb
Our CFO, Ralph Webb is an honors graduate from the prestigious Vanderbilt University, with a major in Sociology. He is currently pursuing his dreams of playing in the National Football League (NFL), continuing on from a successful football journey in college. With academic accolades extending from making the Dean’s List (2016), Academic Honor Roll(2015), Fall SEC Academic Honor Roll (2014), and Fall SEC Academic Honor Roll. He truly embodies the academic success story that is designed for our students. Webb joined a dozen of other Vanderbilt students in May 2016 to study biodiversity along the Great Barrier Reef and rainforests of Australia’s Gold Coast, as well as exemplified leadership skills by representing his teammates at the Southeastern Conference (SEC) Media Days in 2015, 2016 and 2017.
With a deeply rooted passion for kids, Webb worked with many kids at the YMCA in the summers of 2015 and 2016. He has also devoted lots of time to volunteer work and community service, such as Project P.R.O.S.P.E.R., where he participated in motivating, supporting and assisting underprivileged high school youth with the college application process. In addition to that, he has also packaged food and stocked shelves at the First Harvest Food Bank, because helping others is a personal quality that he values. He adds great experience to the social component of the company, specifically the sports component with his awards as 2016 Second Team All-SEC Running Back (Coaches) and 2016 Second Team All-SEC Running Back (Associated Press Fall SEC).
we enjoy working
What People Say
I was referred to Tikya and Whiz Kidz to help my daughter with 3rd grade standards she was having issues with. She was spot on with her ability to identify targeted components both socially and academically for my child to improve her overall academic experience. This is a true sign of her care and passion…
Whizard Faculty and Staff
Our after school program is a place where social and community life of your child is nurished. It becomes a second home for boys and girls, all of whom are naturally curious about the world around them, as well as excited about learning. Whiz Kidz curriculum is designed to build on this natural curiosity and to channel the enthusiasm of the boys into a lifelong love for learning, discovery and understanding.