By: Lamourie Media
At a time when many parents associate after-school math with remediation or pressure, a growing number of New York City families are choosing something different. Rocket Club Math, an NYC-based after-school program with four retail locations across Manhattan, is reimagining math for young children as an enrichment-first experience built around confidence, play, and curiosity.
Serving hundreds of local families, Rocket Club Math focuses primarily on early learners, particularly children in Pre-K through early elementary school. Rather than positioning math as something kids need help fixing, the program treats it as something to experience. Classes are structured more like a club than a classroom, using games, challenges, visible progress milestones, and themed activities to keep children engaged for two-hour sessions.
“What many educators and parents will tell you is that too many kids decide very early that they aren’t good at math, even before it becomes complicated,” said founder Alex Hodara. “By the time math actually gets more complicated, they have already internalized a completely unnecessary fear of math and learned to avoid it. Our goal is for kids to fall in love with math and have fun with it, while setting a strong stage for future success.”
Parents say that the difference shows up quickly at home. “Everyone else says they make math fun, but Rocket Club actually makes math fun,” said one member, age seven. Another parent shared, “Our son is SO excited for Rocket Club today. He told me he wishes it were every day.” Others describe the program as the one activity their children consistently look forward to. “If I were to take him out of all his programs, the only one he would keep is The Rocket Club,” one NYC parent said.
Hodara’s approach is shaped by personal experience. As a child, he learned advanced math through his father’s long-running fantasy baseball league, using statistics and analytics to project outcomes. That early exposure carried into a data-driven entrepreneurial career. He later founded what CNBC described as “one of the first student-run real estate brokerages in America”. He sold several multifamily properties shortly after graduating and went on to develop rental units in Boston and Jersey City. Some of the renovated properties were later acquired by the City of Boston for subsidized housing. “Somehow that all led to Rocket Club Math,” Hodara said. “I founded the math club I wish I had as a child.”
Rocket Club Math’s local credibility was tested during the COVID-19 pandemic, when all Manhattan locations were forced to shut down. Rather than pause operations, Hodara invested nearly $1 million to provide the program free of charge to children across the United States. During that period, Rocket Club hosted more than 400 guest speakers from across technology, entertainment, and education. “We focused on the important things: teaching curiosity, real-world thinking, and long-term confidence rather than worrying only about short-term test outcomes,” Hodara said. That initiative led to national coverage on Good Morning America.
Five years later, Rocket Club Math has returned to its four Manhattan locations and continues to grow primarily through word of mouth. Parents frequently cite gains in confidence alongside academic progress. “Rocket Club has been a godsend for us, and we tell everyone about it,” one family shared. Another parent noted, “I’m seeing improvements in his confidence, and he is slowly beginning to open himself up to learning new things and stepping outside of his comfort zone.”
Hodara, who is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Mathematics Education at Harvard University, remains closely involved in the program’s leadership.
“It brings me immense happiness to see the positive impact and influence the Mathematics for Teaching master’s program at Harvard has had on Alex’s work. Rocket Club Math is already defining a new standard for the critical early years, when children build their foundational math skills. Through Rocket Club Math, Alex is redefining our youth’s appreciation for the mathematical world by fostering a profound understanding that mathematics IS for everyone and, more importantly, that mathematics NEEDS everyone.” — Dr. Carolyn Gardner-Thomas, Director of the Mathematics for Teaching master’s program at Harvard University
“Investing in people and their success makes a difference,” he said. “You are part of your community. Be good to your community and give back to it.”
Rocket Club Math operates four retail locations across Manhattan and serves families citywide.
Website: https://rocketclub.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rocketclub/
