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This story was corrected on Oct. 30, 2009. An explanation follows the story.

Every year the proud designers in Laurel watch their hand-built robots navigate mazes, capture images for the Internet and even fly. The machines, ranging in size from a paperback book to a laptop computer, are operated via remote control, cell phone and Internet programming that may come from as far away as New York and Chicago.

"You can program things into the computer and tell [the robot] to go forward or spin or go through an obstacle course," said one of the robot's creators, Dontrell Smyer of Clinton.

Dontrell is 10 years old.

EduSerc, a nonprofit focused on career development among students from elementary school through high school, has supported the aspirations of students such as Dontrell through its Young Innovators Engineering After-School Program and its Young Innovators Pre-Engineering After-School Program.

"This is what gets students excited," said EduSerc CEO Brian K. Smith, who also owns SmithSolutions, a technology company in Laurel. "We break down the complicated things in simple terms and once they understand those, we go back and break down the technical terms."

EduSerc combines both hands-on learning projects and mentorship from industry experts to keep students engaged in their studies, a challenge facing all extracurricular programs. Smith also emphasizes the entire development and business process when teaching his young engineers, incorporating elements such as budgeting, time management, salary calculation, product pricing and sales proposals.

"Students learn how to think logically and be creative at the same time," he said.

Smith launched EduSerc — spelled out as Educators Serving the Community — in 1996 and has since formed partnerships with Northrop Grumman and local public school systems to promote its programs. The Young Innovators programs serve more than 160 students annually.

Most of EduSerc's budget comes from sponsors in the community, although Smith said donations have dropped from the $20,000 EduSerc received in 2007. As a result, EduSerc has sharpened its focus on Science Technology Engineering Mathematics programs, which Smith said are the most desired in today's market. In June, EduSerc received a $60,000 grant through the Maryland Higher Education Commission to bring such studies to 40 students at Harlem Park Elementary and Harlem Park Middle schools in Baltimore. The nonprofit also received $10,000 through the NBC Universal Foundation to offer its robotics course at Dunbar High School in Washington, D.C.

"The program provides the underserved population with new opportunities," said Edrika Hall, site coordinator for Prince George's Gear Up program, which readies students for college and has partnered with EduSerc for two years. "The students are always hungry for more." Young Innovators is offered to four Prince George's schools.

The Young Innovators programs do more than foster ingenuity, Smith said; they also give students the chance to interact with students taking the course in other states. He said the value of having some robots being controlled via Internet commands is that the local students can operate the robots, alongside their far-off peers.

"Brian knew how to make it fun. Even though it's hard, you still learned how to do it," said Dontrell, who dreams of a career in industrial engineering. "If you do something wrong, he stops what he's doing and comes over and helps."

Anne McClain, Dontrell's grandmother, said she appreciates EduSerc's method of teaching students to express what they are learning and teaching them that they control their own success.

Smith hopes to eventually sell and outsource the Young Innovators curriculum to other schools.

"It is very relevant to an industry-based need," he said.

In the original version, the last name of Dontrell Smyre was misspelled.