Sari Hurme-Mehtälä 👩🏽‍🔬

Kide Science

Accelerate Learning, the leading provider of preK-12 STEM curricula, has acquired Kide Science, a Finnish company that offers imaginative, play-based STEM lessons for preschool through grade 3. 

The acquisition of Kide Science, which currently reaches more than 1 million children in 32 countries, will allow Accelerate Learning to expand its early childhood offerings and extend its international reach. It will also fill a vital need as the United States and countries around the world heighten their focus on early childhood education.

“Young children have an innate sense of curiosity about the world, which makes the early years an ideal time to explore the wonders of STEM,” said Philip Galati, president and CEO of Accelerate Learning. “With Kide Science, teachers have research-backed lessons that tap into children’s drive to play, investigate, and discover so they can be successful in STEM from the start.”

The Kide Science platform includes a library of play- and story-based lessons and professional development materials for teachers of children ages 3-8. Each lesson includes video instructions, printouts, assessment tools, scientific explanations for all the phenomena, and tips to adjust the lesson based on a child’s age and ability.

For students, every Kide Science lesson features an immersive story and illustrations that present STEM problems in a concrete, fun way. In addition to STEM topics, the lessons promote the development of social-emotional, literacy, critical thinking, and problem solving skills.

“Kide Science is tested with real kids in real classrooms, and the lessons can complement any curriculum, which makes it easy for teachers and schools to implement,” said Sari Hurme-Mehtälä, CEO and cofounder of Kide Science. “We’re excited to join Accelerate Learning in setting students on a successful STEM path and creating the next generation of critical thinkers and problem solvers.”

Managing Director & Board Member

Kide Science develops 3-8-year-old children’s scientific thinking skills through story-based hands-on experiments that solve real science problems. The platform provides caregivers like teachers and parents with lesson plans and professional development to lead playful and engaging education in a classroom or remotely. Teach science, math, SEL, literacy, critical thinking, art and more with confidence!

A proven pedagogical method predicts better learning outcomes in school and is based on years of rigorous academic research conducted by the founder.

Kide started it's commercial business in Finland from December 2017. Kide Science’s research-led pedagogy has helped them to win paying customers in 30+ countries. For the new teacher platform (launched in October 2021) there has been registered free trial users from over 100 countries. 

Kide team has also produced book series Tiedeseikkailu with Sanoma - Oppi&ilo and a TV show Tiedonjyvä on YLE, Finland’s national public service broadcaster. 

In 2022, Kide has partnered with DreamWorks Animation and its hit Netflix series Gabby’s Dollhouse to give young scientists cat-tastic themed lesson plans to encourage playful, engaging and inquiry-based learning. 

Kide has raised €3.2M from Reaktor, Sparkmind, TESI, Emerge Education, Zanichelli Venture & MPA Education. We have received also many grants and awards.

kidescience.com

Co-founder & CEO

Accelerate Learning

Sold Kide Science Oy 🇫🇮 & Kide Science Inc. 🇺🇸 to Accelerate Learning Inc. 🇺🇸 Now working full-time as Managing Director for Early Education at Accelerate Learning Inc and part of the company's Executive Leadership Team. I am Managing Director for Kide Science Oy in Finland 🇫🇮 Mostly working in Finland but spending also my time in the U.S.

Managing Director, Early Education

Sari Irene Art

I was supposed to become an artist and I applied for the art school, but then life happened. I have always been creative person and art and painting has been mostly my hobby. During the pandemic I started to paint abstract art with acrylics and then I had so many of those that I needed to give and sell those to friends and family. Now all my paintings can be found from sariireneart.com and happy to do comission paintings also if you have a place and idea in mind. 

It all begins with an idea. I never know what will the outcome be when I start the painting process. Sometimes I might have only colors in mind. Every time I hate it at some point but the next layer might be the best idea ever. It becomes suddenly the most beautiful art I have ever created.

Artist

Samsung Electronics

Management of all marketing activities for IM (Internet Mobile: mobile phones, tablets, wearables)

- Acting as a local launch tower managing communication and activations for product launches within the product category. 
- Creating the nationwide local launch plan, executing and managing the overall launch project including management of cross-functional teams consisting of consumer sales, B2B sales, marketing, retail marketing, social media to reach given targets. 
- Media planning and liaising with the advertising agency, the media agency and the event agency to maximize impact on the Samsung core consumer reaching given brand targets within the allocated budget. 
- Ensuring co-marketing campaigns and partnering activities with all major operator & retail channels and coordinating local sell-out marketing actions.

- Yearly and quarterly activation planning with sales and marketing divisions.
- Regular reporting on the status of the campaigns giving feedback for improvement to local sales departments as well as to Nordic. 
- Securing given ROI for marketing investments.

I started my maternity leave in 2015 May and had two babies in a row and helped other small companies like Lumoan and Ora. In 2017 I founded my first own startup, Kide Science, with 2 other female founders.

Channel Marketing Manager

Kärkimedia Oy

Kärkimedia is a unique sales and marketing organisation and one of the largest media companies in Finland. 

Key account management and campaign planning for major domestic and international brands. One of my biggest clients was Samsung, that then recruited me from Kärkimedia to their Channel Marketing Manager position in Samsung Finland.

In addition to leading my dedicated clients (my team: digital manager, research planner and sales assistant), main task from the start was to develop the strategy how can we get brand advertisers with digital aspect and clients who have marketing directors abroad (don’t know Finnish market). Our clients from that sector did grow the most during my time.
- I had year 2013 the biggest sales from mobile and cross media solutions. 
- I won Kärkimedia´s own Cannes Lions award 2012 with best marketing plan and year 2013 I won the 2nd place. Jury members consisted of directors of media and ad agencies and clients.
- I was voted year 2012 for the best motivator & most positive person in the company.
- I was also in the “Kärkimedia Next” development project team with CEO, sales director and owners. Part of Grand One winner of best B2B service: Baari.

Key Account Manager

Discovery Inc

New TV channel TV VIISI was launched in Finland when I started, so I truly learned what new business sales requires. I was responsible for smaller local and bigger global clients as well as their media and ad agencies, development of customership and revenues. Also part of the brand care team to sell program sponsorships and creative ad solutions.

TV5 Finland was first part of the ProSiebenSat.1 Media Group which is one of the largest independent media corporations in Europe. Nowadays TV5 Finland is part of Discovery Inc.

Sales Manager

Stockmann Oyj Abp

My main role in event marketing was to plan, coordinate and organize commercial sales promotion campaigns for every country. I was also copywriter in the campaigns. I was working with department stores, buyers, managers, artists, art directors and partners from other companies. 

I started as a marketing assistant.

Marketing Coordinator & Copywriter

Sales in fashion department and team leading in One Way -fashion store.

Sales & Team Leader

😍 Are you a teacher or a parent of a curious 3-8-year-old? Start your lessons today from kidescience.com 🇫🇮 Awarded as the winner of the best learning solution from Finland and the best early years solution in the New York EdTech Week 2022 🇺🇲 & The Best STEM resource for PK12 chosen by the Superintendents 🇺🇲 2023. ⭐️

Sari Hurme-Mehtälä, CEO & Co-founder of Kide Science, has 20 years of business experience globally and locally in media, retail, design, ICT & Education. She has worked in big companies´ marketing and sales positions but felt that she wants to do something more meaningful, especially with children, after becoming a mother of two little scientists, born in 2015 & 2016. 

In 2013 Kide Science founder Dr. Jenni Vartiainen began researching science education of 3-6-years-old children at the University of Helsinki in Finland. The empirical part of her study called for setting up a science club. Researcher Jenni Vartiainen, teacher Aino Kuronen and business person Sari Hurme-Mehtälä founded Kide Science in December 2017 due to the huge demand brought about by the popularity of this new innovative pedagogical model & engaging science lessons.

Now Kide Science is growing globally with educators and customers from over 30 countries.
🇺🇸 Accelerate Learning aqcuired 🇫🇮 Kide Science in October 2023 but Kide Science Oy continues in Finland as before with the product development team.

Kide Science helps teachers and parents support young children’s problem solving and soft skills through play-based learning and storytelling.

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