STEAM Carnival is the latest pet project under Two-Bit Circus - a business venture by Brent Bushnell and Eric Gradman, as well a 25 person team of intelligent, innovative and creative individuals. The group has put the project on Kickstarter with a goal of $100, 000 (USD) to get the edutainment (education and entertainment) initiative off the ground.
This is a traveling carnival unlike any you've seen before. Imagine you're old school carnival with mazes and ring toss, but re-imagined with robots, lasers and electrical or pyrotechnical displays!
"Our vision is of a state-of-the-art big tent affair at a fairground, complete with contests, prizes, tasty food, live entertainment and a midway loaded with games that use the latest technology to rpovide an interactive and physical experience for the entire family," states the Kickstarter page.
Based off the acronym STEM - Science, Technology, Engineering and Math - STEAM also includes Art. As John Maeda of RISD and MIT explains, "Our culture isn't doing enough to get kids interested in STEAM. As professional inventors, we rely on these disciplines every day, and want to share our excitements about them with kids young and old. Through years of building and demonstrating fun games we've learned no better way to get kids into STEAM than to show them an amazing time. When you say 'engineering' to most kids they zone out. But when you say 'lasers, robots, and fire,' you have their undivided attention."
It is the hope of the Two-Bit Circus team that the STEAM Carnival Kickstarter campaign will help in raising money to finalize production, secure locations, and reach out to schools. Inventing new games, co-ordinating mentors, producing kits, and organizing a full road-ready carnival takes resources. At the moment the goal is $100, 000 USD by June 3. The team expressed on the Kickstarter page that although this may seem like a lot, "We've set a relatively low goal for the complexity involved with this type of undertaking. We really want to blow it out of the water! The more we raise, the better the event will be and the more kids we'll reach."
The involvement level with the kids who visit the carnival will be fantastic, integrating work by the kids through creative contests, a digital art gallery, a concert featuring musical robots, and a fashion show of wearable electronics. Kids will also be able to sign up for special kits being designed which will help kids to create amusement-focused technical projects. Patrons will also be able to buy a kit, which STEAM Carnival will send to a child in need.
"We hope that the STEAM Carnival becomes a community of kids and mentors who share a passion for STEAM and for the many ways to make it fun."
The first stops will be Los Angeles and San Francisco in Spring 2014 if the campaign is successful. If you would like to learn more about the campaign, who is involved, how to donate, how much you can donate and what rewards are available, check out the
STEAM Carnival Kickstarter page. Also, below is a video courtesy of the team at Two-Bit Circus and STEAM Carnival which is a brief introduction to the carnival and what you can expect:
