Cardboard: Fueling STEAM Education & Imagination for the Next Generation
Today’s youth are bombarded with facts and knowledge from the discoveries of those who came before them. But the problems we face tomorrow are going to be very different from those we’re facing today. To be prepared for an unknown future, we need to teach our youth to solve questions that we don’t yet know to ask.
There’s very limited opportunity in our education system for kids to learn how to explore, discover, and build new things on their own. In order for today’s youth to have the tools they need to build the world of tomorrow, science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM) education is critical. The curiosity and creativity that are involved in STEAM education instill invaluable skills for youth, foster entrepreneurialism, and more.
Critical thinking skills stem from creativity. Solutions to complex problems come from creativity. Invention, design, self-expression, making — all of these things stem from creativity. Yet there are far too many children around the world who don’t have the support they need to fuel their creative expression.
Education facilities are often strapped for budget and there is a common misconception that STEAM education tools and resources are expensive to provide. Some forward-thinking corporations are working to provide solutions — maker kits and ‘build-your-own’ packages — but most of these are still too pricey, putting them out of reach for so many underfunded schools and underprivileged youth who need them.
We have another idea: Cardboard.
Cardboard is everywhere. It’s free, environmentally responsible, and widely accessible. Cardboard can be shaped, cut, painted, bent, and drawn on to become whatever you want it to be. For education facilities that lack adequate funds, something as simple as a cardboard box can inspire worlds of imagination.
At Two Bit Circus Foundation, we believe cardboard could become STEAM education’s most valuable resource. In fact, we’ve already had worldwide success. Imagination.org, powered by Two Bit, hosts an annual Global Cardboard Challenge where kids are encouraged to imagine a better world and then build something out of cardboard to help that vision come true. Since 2012, they’ve had over 1 million participants in over 80 countries.
These challenges work on numerous levels. On the surface, they allow kids to collaborate, learn, and build, using only the resources available. Dig a little deeper and they encourage kids to explore their own interests and passions. Keep digging and these challenges kickstart an invaluable entrepreneurial spirit that is sometimes not fostered through traditional education methods.
Coming up on November 21st is the inaugural Vans Checkerboard Day, an event that brings communities together to celebrate creative expression. On this day, Vans will donate $1 million of their global sales to Imagination.org, powered by Two Bit, to help us further our mission. With Vans’ support, we plan to launch 100 new global Imagination Chapters, provide Chapter Leaders with more training, tools, and resources, and so much more.
To kick off this event, we’re hosting a Cardboard Challenge on Sunday, Nov. 17, 2019, from 2 to 5 pm at Two Bit Circus Micro-Amusement Park in Downtown LA.
At the Cardboard Challenge, children of all ages will be able to build anything they imagine out of cardboard. Caine Monroy, who built an arcade out of cardboard in the overwhelming successful short film Caine’s Arcade, will be there inspiring hands-on creativity and expression, as well as Vans Senior Manager of Sustainability and Social Responsibility, Kim Matsoukas.
To be prepared for a rapidly advancing world, we need to provide children of all means with the tools needed to face tomorrow’s problems. And we believe in cardboard.
CEO and Chief Juggler at Two Bit Circus Foundation
