Zaniac Asheville

What we are up to!

STEM Summer in session! What a blast of a week and such incredible kids!

Our first STEM Summer Campers!

First week of STEM Summer Camps!

Whaaat? How is it the first week of STEM Summer Camp already?

Happy Birthday, Elliot! 🍰

Thank You, WNC Community!

Zaniac Celebrates 10 Years of inspiring kids with STEM!

Dear Zaniac Community,

This year marks an incredible milestone for us,10 years of inspiring curiosity, creativity and confidence in young minds.

When we first opened our doors, we had a simple belief: learning should be hands-on, exciting and filled with discovery. Over the past decade, that belief has grown into something far bigger than we ever imagined. Together with you, we’ve built a vibrant community where students don’t just learn STEM, they experience it. We’ve worked with thousands of curious students who have built robots, mixed chemical reactions, coded games, solved puzzles and asked the kind of big questions that make teaching so rewarding. We have partnered with many non-profit organizations as we strive to make learning equitable and offered hundreds of scholarship at our camps. When our students step through our doors, they also learn about mentorship, teamwork, kindness and community.

In 10 years, more than 7,000 students have participated in a Zaniac STEM class or camp, and nearly 3,000 of them received scholarships, assistance, or program support to ensure access to these opportunities. Our mission has always been to inspire as many young minds in Western North Carolina as possible. Beyond the walls of Zaniac in Biltmore Park Town Square, we’ve reached more than 20,000 youth across Western North Carolina through more than 600 community events, bringing STEM learning to schools, libraries, and local festivals.

At the heart of it all are our instructors: More than 100 talented and exemplary high school and college students have stepped into leadership roles, inspiring the next generation while growing in their own journeys. They’ve brought to life a curriculum that now includes more than 500 hands-on programs, each designed to spark curiosity and build confidence. Fun fact: Two of our instructors married each other!

This journey hasn’t been without its challenges. We adapted and persevered through COVID, reimagining how we deliver meaningful learning experiences. During that time, we led kids through remote school so parents who had to continue to work could do so. More recently, we faced the impacts of Hurricane Helene, and we reopened as soon as possible to give our community kids a sense of normalcy. If the first 10 years have taught us anything, it’s that curiosity never stops, and neither do we! Our commitment to the students and families we serve has remained constant.

Zaniac has always been more than a learning center; it’s a community. Zaniac is a place where students, families and team members support one another, celebrate milestones and grow together. We love seeing kids light up when they enter our Zaniac campus! Along the way, we’ve shared not only successes but also meaningful life moments, strengthening the sense that we are truly a Zaniac family.

We are deeply grateful to every student who has walked through our doors, every family who has trusted us, every partner who has supported our mission, and every instructor who has poured their passion into teaching. Your support, encouragement, and enthusiasm for learning have made this milestone possible. The first 10 years have been extraordinary, but we believe the best is still ahead.

Thank you for being part of our story.

With gratitude,


The Zaniac Team: Lynne Porter, Denise Waycaster, Christi Whitworth, PhD, Reed Bilbray, Sandra Bilbray, Dr. Stephen Page, Patricia Page, Dana Harris, Nancy Duggan, Colin Robertson