As my students gear up for this year’s Global Cardboard Challenge, they will also be researching a charity to which they will donate the proceeds from their cardboard arcade. I want them to keep in mind Angela Maier’s mantra, “You are a genius and the world needs your contribution,” and to cultivate their empathy along with their creativity.
As I was thinking about how to inspire my classes this year (many of whom have already seen the Caine’s Arcade videos), I ran across this video from an organization called, “Aarambh.” Committed to helping students become more comfortable in their schools in rural areas of India, Aarambh found a way to make combination desks/backpacks out of discarded cardboard. For less than 20 cents in American dollars, a child can be outfitted with this invaluable piece of equipment. This is a great video to show students so many things:
- the value of an education
- how fortunate many of us are to receive a free education with numerous resources
- how simple, yet creative, ideas can have an incredible positive impact
- that recycling is not just a luxury but an imperative