Start an Imagination Chapter!
We are adding 150 new Imagination Chapters to our global network, and we are inviting you to apply. If you think a Chapter would be a valuable addition to your school or community, let us know. We’ll answer your questions and get started!
Imagination Chapters were first launched in 2014 in 30 communities. Today, we have 100 Chapters in 20 countries. Though many of our Chapters take place in schools and are led by teachers, Chapters can launch anywhere, including libraries, community centers, parks, backyards… anywhere that’s a safe and nurturing place for kids to gather together. And anyone can lead a Chapter, whether or not the person has formal educational experience.
We like to describe Chapters as “pop-up learning spaces,” that foster creativity and other 21st century skills through Creative Play. We say “pop-up” because Chapters don’t require a lot of infrastructure or resources to get started: the point is to gather kids together, build and play! And you can do this pretty much anywhere.
What’s Creative Play?
The focus of a Chapter meet-up is Creative Play, which is a learning process that taps into a child’s natural creative abilities. Creative Play begins with inspiration and culminates in the sharing of an original artifact made by the child using whatever tools and materials are available. In this process, kids open up their minds to what’s possible, take chances, solve problems, collaborate and become better creative thinkers and doers. These are some of the most critical skills for life and work in the 21st century.
If you are wondering what Creative Play looks like, it’s as simple (and fun) as the Cardboard Challenge: take cardboard, recyclables, and imagination, and then build whatever you can dream up! A Creative Play session can start with cardboard, but it can end up wherever imagination takes you. With the introduction of new ideas, tools, and tech, Chapters can get into some pretty heavy duty “making.” With more advanced fabrication tools, kids can build highly complex structures. Or introduce microprocessors, sensors and other electronics, and kids can begin to code and learn a host of 21st century technologies.
But in many ways, it’s not the content, tools or material of the Chapter that’s most important; it’s the experience of Creative Play, which is inherently project-based, fun and deeply engaging. It’s important to remember that learning 21st century skills doesn’t necessarily mean using 21st century technology. Skills like critical thinking, creativity, problem-solving (and problem-finding), reflection and analysis, collaboration, etc., can be fostered with a cardboard box, a child’s imagination and a little room to play.
Start with what you have and let your imaginations guide you!
… learning 21st century skills doesn’t necessarily mean using 21st century technology. Skills like critical thinking, creativity, problem-solving (and problem-finding), reflection and analysis, collaboration, etc., can be fostered with a cardboard box, a child’s imagination and a little room to play.
More to Explore
Here are some resources for a closer look at Imagination Chapters:
- Get to know some of our wonderful Chapter Leader Ambassadors. If you start a Chapter, you’ll get to work with these awesome people!
- Watch Creative Play in action at some of our Chapters in East Los Angeles, South Africa & Italy. We made a video series called “Science at Play,” watching as children play with new gadgets from Google.
- Read about what an Imagination Chapter looks like inside a school classroom. Not all Chapters take place in schools, but here’s a glimpse at one that does.
- Check out this Chapter in Idaho, featured on local news for inventing a modified toy car for a child with special needs. They were awarded “Honorable Mention” in our recent Inventor’s Challenge, and they are a heart-warming example of the value of empathy in creativity.
Ready to get started? Visit www.imagination.org/chapters to read more, including the FAQ, and then sign up to get the process started!
— Team Imagination
