Curious Cardinals matches kids aged 8-18 with inspiring university mentors from top schools to:
What most students do...
Robotics
Vihaan worked with his mentor to build an engineering portfolio for the car company he created, learning skills like CAD
Sports Analytics
Rohan learned statistics and R with his mentor as he built a soccer analytics platform!
Design
Sophia learned Figma with her mentor, designing two web apps and documenting her design thinking process!
Additional portfolio tracks include:
Coding & Programming
Finance & Investing
Video & Photography
Music
Creative Writing
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Colleges and employers want creators, innovators, and problem-solvers.
A well-crafted portfolio can:
Transform interests into tangible projects
From Curiosity to Creator.
We help your child turn their passions into meaningful projects that showcase their unique talents. Our mentors guide them to:
Design creative solutions to real-world problems they care deeply about
Develop foundational skills relevant to their interests, from writing to design to coding
Create working examples that clearly demonstrate their capabilities
Produce standout projects that reflect their individuality
Build a professional portfolio
From scattered projects to polished portfolio.
Your child learns to professionally document and present their projects:
Create clear and compelling project documentation
Showcase their creative and critical thinking processes
Develop an impressive timeline highlighting project growth
Demonstrate skill mastery through concrete results and deliverables
Gain real recognition
From Personal Interests to Public Achievements.
Your child's work won't stay hidden. We help them:
Enter notable competitions and challenges relevant to their interests
Present at public showcases, fairs, and exhibitions
Pursue opportunities for internships, collaborations, and future growth
Go beyond portfolios
Not every success begins traditionally. Whether your child dreams of starting a non-profit, hosting a podcast, writing a novel, or conducting independent research—we help them transform their passions into tangible achievements that stand out.
With 650+ mentors from the world’s top schools on our roster, your child will be guided by and develop a personal connection with award winners, team captains, class presidents, Rhodes scholars, and fellowship recipients. Our mentors are not just academically accomplished; they are leaders and role models, dedicated to inspiring and guiding your child towards success.
See how our students transformed their passions into standout projects and explore more about each portfolio track:
Game Design
From Gamer to Launching Video Game on Steam
Matthew transformed a casual hobby into a polished game by mastering C#, Unity development, vixel art, and entrepreneurial marketing skills
Read Matthew's Story
Robotics / Electronics / CAD
Grade 7 Student Presents Mars Rover to NASA | Jack's Story
Discover how Jack, a 7th grader, went from robotics beginner to presenting innovative Mars rover concepts to NASA with mentor Skye from Stanford University.
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Sports Analytics
Spencer's Journey to Wharton | Sports Analytics Success
Read how Spencer earned Dean's List honors, gained Wharton acceptance, and built advanced sports analytics projects with expert mentorship guidance.
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Sports Analytics
Soccer Analytics Journey with R | Logan's Story
Discover how 9th grader Logan mastered R programming and data visualization with mentor Linus from Northwestern, creating advanced soccer analytics visualizations and statistical models.
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Machine Learning / AI
Lucas Builds AI Alzheimer's Screening Tool | CogniPlay
Discover how Lucas partnered with Columbia mentor Anirudh to develop CogniPlay, an AI-powered iOS app for early Alzheimer's detection using deep learning.
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Robotics / Electronics / CAD
Abby Launches Patent Law Blog with CAD Design Skills
Discover how Abby, a 10th grader, launched a patent law blog and mastered CAD design with mentor Vanessa from Duke University in biomedical engineering.
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Robotics / Electronics / CAD
6th Grader Builds Mini Arcade with Duke Engineering Mentor
Discover how 6th grader Rylan built a functional arcade machine with Duke University mentor Daniel, mastering electronics, programming, and circuit fundamentals.
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Coding / Programming
From CS Exploration to App Challenge Winner | Drew's Story
Read Drew's inspiring journey from coding beginner to Congressional App Challenge winner with mentor Kaitlyn, creating Lyme-Aid for health tracking.
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Don’t let your child blend in. Let them shine with an extraordinary portfolio that colleges and employers can't ignore.
Find a mentor
