Research shows that creativity influences quality of life in many ways.
By Paula Schaper, Mat Bevel Company Vice President / Executive Director
According to Dr. Mark Runco, a world’s leading creativity scholar and Mat Bevel Company educational partner, the benefits of creativity include dignity, quality of life and meaning in life. Data shows that creativity is more important for life outside of school than is intelligence, GPA, IQ, etc. It has even been suggested that creativity is a more valid predictor of future significant life accomplishment than conventional IQ score and school grades.
When I became aware of the national creativity deficit in our schools, I thought it would be great to use my brother Ned Schaper’s world of Beveldom and his Available Resource Technology (ART) lifelong creative practices to build students’ confidence in their own problem-solving abilities. Mat Bevel Company began developing The Universe Within world-building course over one year ago. At that time, I would have been satisfied if just one kid’s world was changed. After participating in The Universe Within course with 26 students at Patagonia Elementary School in April and May, I’m blown away by the excitement and energy each student put into every class.
“The Universe Within encouraged students to be confident in their designs and innovative ideas. It freed their minds from the shackles of antiquated paradigms. The course showed the girls that they too are scientists and leaders of value. The Universe Within developed a creative community of cooperative learners and school citizens. It literally rewired thinking in my classroom.”
-David Clovesko-Wharton, Math/Science teacher Patagonia Elementary School
Students built two-gear spinning wheels from recycled materials to help them solve the social issues in their worlds. As they persevered in troubleshooting frictional, mechanical and material failures. their frustration turned into accomplishment!
The Universe Within helps students explore the outer universe through the inner universe.
Creativity expert Sir Ken Robinson knocked it out of the park with his record-breaking TED talk in 2006 titled “Do schools kill creativity?” making a case for creating an education system that nurtures (rather than undermines) creativity. He champions a radical rethink of our school systems, to cultivate creativity and acknowledge multiple types of intelligence. In an Adobe creativity study, 88% of U.S. professionals believe that creativity should be built into standard curricula. And in that article Sir Ken Robinson concludes, “Creativity is not an option, it’s an absolute necessity.”
Here’s my take on why I think The Universe Within world-building course captivated these 26 students in practical and personal ways. Once students identified something of meaning to them with their social issues, they had a context for learning. Once they began to construct an alter ego, they identified virtues beyond their “ordinary” self that they can take into their everyday lives. The course not only improved students’ creative problem-solving, it built the strength of their character to take on life’s tough challenges.
But there’s something more. I think Ned’s world of Beveldom provides an analog to real life. Students encountered situations where they had to solve all kinds of problems in their imaginary worlds that they can now use to solve problems in their real lives. They were challenged in this environment, yet they had fun solving problems.
Students participated in a interactive lesson where they spun different geometric shapes—the cube, tetrahedron and octahedron—and identified the number of faces, edges and vertices.
Don’t think education is your thing?
You might not think education is your cause, but a report from UNESCO has valuable lessons for anyone concerned about how future generations will develop and the world they will shape. Providing young people with creative training techniques for life is an investment in our collective future. We want to give students the skills they need to solve social issues and be productive in society.
Mat Bevel Company named this year’s campaign “Escape Velocity,” because we are in position to produce an innovative multi-media digital version of The Universe Within world-building curriculum, that within one year will be available in schools around the country.
We can’t do it without you. We need your support to make this happen. We hope you see the need and that you’ll lend us your support so we can move to the next level. Gifts of any amount are welcome and all contributors will be acknowledged on our website at MatBevelCompany.org.
“The immersive visualizations of digital multi-media open the world to learning anywhere, and Ned Schaper’s work is very cutting-edge in this environment. Video technologies, such as Virtual Reality, make science and art universally accessible and useful, allowing us to step inside interesting new worlds. The future of education will lie in our ability to create learning not bound by linear modalities.”
– Luis Carrión, award-winning producer/videographer, University of Arizona’s Office of Digital Learning
Gratefully,
Vice President and Executive Director, Mat Bevel Company
Your gift to the 501(c)3 Mat Bevel Company during the “Escape Velocity” campaign will help us scale up our programs at our new home and with co-collaborators.
Please make your online donation today or send your gift by mail to: Mat Bevel Company, PO Box 1684, Tucson, AZ 85702 or PO Box 1163, Patagonia, AZ 85624. To learn more, please contact Paula Schaper at 520-604-6273.
Registered Charitable Number (EIN): 13-4012463