Starting an after-school science or robotics club in French
Curiosity does not stop at the bell. An after-school club gives children a weekly hour to experiment, build and program, entirely in French. Here is how Profaqua’s clubs work and what a school needs to get one started.
What happens in a club session
For 60 minutes each week, participants experiment, build, program and take on science challenges suited to their age. Each session is designed to spark curiosity, build creativity and make them want to come back the following week.
As in every Profaqua workshop, several children become the day’s science assistants, proudly wearing their lab coats and joining the demonstrations in front of the group. One week they explore chemistry, the next they solve an engineering challenge or discover the living world.
Science club or robotics club?
You can also alternate during the year: a science club in the fall, a robotics club in the winter.
Science club
A new adventure each week: the mysteries of chemistry, engineering challenges, the living world. Groups of 18 to 25 children. Ideal for a mixed group that wants variety.
Robotics club
Children build and program robots week after week, with LEGO® WeDo 2.0, SPIKE™ or other platforms suited to their age. Groups of 14 to 20 children. Profaqua supplies the iPads, the robots, the activity mats and an Apple TV to display the code on the whiteboard. Our robotics programs.
Why a club in French works so well
For students in French Immersion, an after-school club adds an hour of French each week in a setting where nobody is being graded. They hear and use French to build, test and joke with their friends, which is exactly the kind of practice that makes a language feel like their own.
For students in francophone schools, a club is a chance to live their science, and their French, outside the classroom, with friends from other grades. And for every child, the weekly rhythm matters: a challenge left unfinished on Tuesday is something to look forward to the next week.
Which robots for which ages
In a robotics club, the platform follows the age of the group:
- Kindergarten to grade 2: KUBO® coding with tiles, Bee-Bot®, Blue-Bot® and Botley, to program without needing to read.
- Kindergarten to grade 6: LEGO® WeDo 2.0, to build motorized models and program them on a tablet.
- Grades 1 to 12: LEGO® SPIKE™ and MINDSTORMS® EV3, with sensors, motors and more ambitious missions.
Tell us the age groups when you book and we choose the platform. Read more in Classroom robotics: which robot for which grade?
Length and price
A club runs for 6 to 12 weekly sessions. The price depends on the number of weeks booked:
- 6 weeks: $1,800, from $72 per child.
- 8 weeks: $2,400, from $96 per child.
- 10 weeks: $3,000, from $120 per child.
- 12 weeks: $3,500, from $140 per child.
GST and PST are extra. The price per child depends on how many children register: the more participants, the lower the cost for each family or for the school. See all prices.
What the school provides
- Access to electrical outlets.
- A sink near the science room.
- An interactive whiteboard in the robotics room.
- A clear space for the end-of-session robotics demonstrations.
After-school clubs are offered in Greater Vancouver.
Who pays: families, the school or the PAC
A school can charge families a registration fee, or pay for the club itself so every child can take part. A PAC can also help: according to the 2026 PAC & DPAC guidelines, Community Gaming Grants fund extracurricular opportunities for all students, which is exactly what a club is. How PAC funding works.
Since the grant is applied for between April 1 and June 30 and confirmed by September 30, a PAC that wants a club for the winter should plan it in the spring.
Filling the club
Announce the club a few weeks before it starts, with the day, the time, the number of weeks and the age groups. Mention that the club is entirely in French, and that no previous experience is needed: curiosity is enough.
Keep the group sizes in mind when you open registration: 18 to 25 children for a science club, 14 to 20 for robotics. A waiting list is a good sign that a second session, or a second group, would be welcome the following term.
How to get started
Send us a short message with the following, and we reply with a proposal:
- The name of the school and its postal code.
- The preferred start date and number of weeks.
- The age groups and the expected number of children.
- The space available and the schedule.
Want your own staff to run robotics later on? Our teacher training covers the main robot platforms and coding tools, with course notes for your team.
How long is each session?
60 minutes, once a week, for 6 to 12 weeks.
How many children can join?
Science clubs welcome groups of 18 to 25 children, robotics clubs groups of 14 to 20.
Do we need our own robots?
No. Profaqua supplies the robots, iPads, activity mats and an Apple TV for robotics clubs.
Is the club entirely in French?
Yes. Like every Profaqua activity, clubs are led in French.
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Éric Tremblay · Founder of Profaqua
Éric founded Profaqua in 2000. Over 25 years, he has designed more than 55 science workshops in biology, chemistry, physics, Earth and space science, the environment and robotics. Based in British Columbia since 2021, he travels the province every year to bring hands-on science in French to students in francophone and French Immersion schools.
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