Global Cardboard Challenge: Imagination Foundation: Launched from Caine's Arcade, Engaging 100,000 kids in creative play
Example: Walk us through a specific example(s) of how this solution makes a difference; include its primary activities.
Impact: What is the impact of the work to date? Also describe the projected future impact for the coming years.
Spread Strategies: Moving forward, what are the main strategies for scaling impact?
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Marketplace: Who else is addressing the problem outlined here? How does the proposed project differ from these approaches?
Founding Story
Team
Mike
McGalliard
Imagination Foundation
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, CA, Los Angeles
, Global - Activities in Over 50 Countries
Friends and family, Individuals, Foundations, NGOs, Businesses.
Goldhirsh Foundation Grant, California Community Foundation Grant, Big Ideas Fest: Innovation in Action Award, Dan Eldon Award for Creative Activisim, Mattress Firm Sponsorship (2013/2014), Focus Features The BoxTrolls Partnership, CGI America STEM Partnership with National Head Start
3 - 5, 6 - 12, 13 - 17.
Other.
I am applying on behalf of a particular program or initiative.
Public (tuition-free), Private (tuition-based), Home-School, Other.
Curricular, Extracurricular, Community.
Equip Adults to Drive Change in Learning: Providing creative learning experiences for teachers, parents, working professions and others that empowers them to drive change in any part of the learning ecosystem.
Resources and Scaling Partners
Creative learning through play. Increasing creative confidence. Fostering creativity as a core social value in communities.
a. Organizing local events worldwide, connecting partners & resources (MakeDo, Little Bits, Mattress Firm), curating curriculum, developing communities, building platform
b. over 50 countries, majority in US.
c. year round, most events take place in September, and culminate in a Global day of play early October (anniversary of flashmob done for Caine in short film)
d. Wide range
e. Mostly volunteers, but also partners like Mattress Firm, The BoxTrolls, & NHSA Chapters
f. Our Cardboard Challenge Organizer Playbook illustrates our Creative Play model and can be downloaded here: http://cardboardchallenge.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/2014-Global-Car...
Info Sheet and FAQ: http://cardboardchallenge.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/2014-Global-Car...
As a filmmaker and story teller, I was inspired by the global response to Caine's Arcade, and by how quickly parents, educators, and kids extended the story to re-imagine learning. Caine's Arcade was an unintentional spark that found an audience of educators, parents, and kids ready to re-imagine learning. The Imagination Foundation was formed from the ground up as a grass roots response, and has developed in collaboration with this global audience. Mimi Ito from MacArthur Foundation called the response to Caine's Arcade "the first scalable model for project based learning."
Kids learn naturally through play and exploration. Kids like Caine learn through imaginative open ended play. In a traditional school environment, kids like Caine often struggle, are bored, and are considered slow. Their natural talents and curiosity are not fostered, and their potential is easily squandered. It is critical for us to raise a new generation of creative problem solvers who have the skills to not only build the worlds they can imagine, but can also imagine the world they can build.
Grants: 25%
Sponsorship: 65%
Individual Giving: 10%
We are a non-profit. Our mission is to scale creative play, as such, all "profits" are directed back into expanding programming. We intend to employ entrepreneurial models to generate revenue, while directing profits back toward programs and impact.
Web development for our platform. Our current site (www.cardboardchallenge.com) is very limited in terms of functionality. We can not support a mapping feature or dates, and would like to revamp the web platform to make it easier for participants to find local events to take part in.
Nat'l Head Start Association to engage 30,000 Pre-K kids in early STEM Ed, primarily in underserved communities: http://bit.ly/1t4kg2s
Indiana University's Creativity Labs partnership for 9 month Imagination Chapter Pilot helps study impact: http://bit.ly/1s4Hw2e
Focus Features The Boxtrolls 2014 Cardboard Challenge partnership helps promote & scale:
www.imagination.is/theboxtrolls
reddit partnership helps scale:
http://bit.ly/1qTKyUz
We received a message/comment via the changemakers platform from the founder of Pop-Up Play offering to be a Philly Chapter leader for our Imagination Foundation and our Cardboard Challenge. We hope this partnership will help locals our community in PA learn about Pop-Up Play as well.
In 15 yrs, every consumer box and product includes a "re-imagine" logo, and is connected to a platform where kids share the creations made from the product packaging. Creativity and play have become a core social value, celebrated by billions in an annual day of play, and throughout the year through Imagination Leagues creative challenges. Children have more access to creative play time, and are creative problem solvers. Cities are more playful.
Current impact limited to engagement & empirical evidence, i.e. parents/educators sharing stories of kid's increased creative confidence. Our program grew from 20k participants to 100k+ in 2 yrs. During Imagination Chapter Pilot in fall, we hope to see increase in creative proficiency & confidence of participants. Each Chapter will serve about 20 kids over 9 months, with impact measured: http://imagination.is/our-projects/imagination-chapters/
100,001 to 500,000
In progress
Fewer than 10
More than 1,000
Play with Objects, Creating a Supportive Socio-Emotional Environment, Educational Structuring (developing playful projects within educational contexts), Adults Participating (Ensuring adults are able to play alongside children), Challenging Play (play that disrupts - where rules are disregarded and levels of imagination are high).