If Kids Rule the World, That Doesn't Mean They're Driving, Right? (Or How We Made Our Leadership Game) Part II

So far, we've talked about how to build the physical parts of the game. Now: How the game works.

On the first day, our young leaders will assemble in the cafeteria. Sitting on a table in the middle of the vast room will be the game board, covered by a sheet.

Why covered? Because humans of all ages are intrigued by mystery and surprise.

First, we introduce the adults to the young leaders. Then, we reveal the board.

Artist's rendering of excited children looking at the board.
Thanks Anat!

Behold the game board!
(Like Babe Ruth calling his shot, I'm calling these reactions: "Whoa!" "I have one of these at home!" "That's not Earth...." "Yes it is!")

Everybody can touch the board now, but this will be the last time anyone and everyone can touch it.

Why touch it at all? Kids like touching things. Nothing we can do to help that.

Then, to foreshadow what will happen with this board, we drop a magnetic piece onto it and, by the power of physics, it stands straight up.

"WOW!" "COOL!" "Can I try!?" "Give me that!"

We'll do our best to stop everyone in between the latter two exclamations. Only moments ago, we announced the no-touching rule, but it takes many repetitions to teach a new habit. Now is the time to harness the excitement of something new. Leeway is granted.

We point out the four landmasses that are home to the world's major powers. And then it's time to divide.

Our leaders will be divided into four groups. These groups will be based on age. So we will have a country of 5-6-year-olds, 7-8-year-olds, 9-11-year-olds, and 12-17-year-olds. They will meet each other, meet their advisers (our fantastic volunteer instructors!), and immediately set about creating their world.

This first day is essential; first impressions are big. If you falter early on, you lose the crowd, and it's hard to get the audience back on your side. Kids feed off energy. This first moment must be full of excitement and adventure, and the leaders must start to get acquainted with the prospect that decisions in this world - their world - will be made by them.

So we'll start them off on this path of independence. We'll have a discussion about how to interact with each other. The words "respect" and "fair" will come up a lot.
(Side note: We might write more about this topic later, but, although we all understand the importance of respect, this was personally the most troubling part of the game for me. We spent so much time designing a simulation for kids to find their own way, to learn the most effective way to act and behave based on their interactions with others. Demanding that our participants treat each other respectfully takes some of the freedom out of the simulation.
But, we need to balance total freedom with the instructional purpose. We think that balance can be achieved through a conversation with students because they'll still be generating the ideas and underlying moral framework. In the end, many of the hardest decisions we made involved a balance between freedom and instruction.)

During our first run, the four countries were Samistonia,
Yadistan, Greybourg, and Hyrule.

Each country will then receive randomly-assigned attributes. The first attribute will be geographic placement. Although the map is set, which landmass a particular group of leaders will reside on is not.

The second attribute will be population. The smallest country will have 20 million residents. The largest will have 800 million.

The third attribute will be GDP. GDP will range from $20 billion to $400 billion. We're using a common currency because OH MY GOODNESS THIS IS CRAZY ENOUGH!
The governments will initially start out with a tax rate of 50% of overall GDP. So, effectively, countries will be able to spend $10 billion to $200 billion depending on their assigned GDP. Governments can change their tax rates, but such decisions will come with consequences (more on that later).

Finally, each country will receive randomly assigned resources. These resources are used during the course of the game and can be traded between countries.

The leaders will then work within their countries to come up with country names, national stories, and a unifying culture. They'll introduce their countries to the world. They'll have a chance to meet other leaders from other countries at a series of international meetings hosted by our international organizations.

Here's another wrinkle: The international organizations will be run by some of our high school students. More on that later too!

At the end of this period of harmony and collaboration, we will introduce the world to its first global challenge, and the leaders will have only 70 minutes to come up with a plan.

Tune in to Part III where we reveal the global challenges, domestic demands, and our daily schedule!


Elad Gross
President and CEO
Education Exchange Corps
www.EdExCo.org
Elad@EdExCo.org

Summer Food Program Coming to Hyde Park

The Education Exchange Corps will be partnering with the St. Louis City Department of Human Services to provide free breakfasts and lunches to kids in Hyde Park.

Each year, many kids depend on the City's Summer Food Program for a reliable meal. Unfortunately, many kids in the United States live under the burden of poverty. Just in the last couple of years, we have reached the point where the majority of kids in public schools are eligible for free or reduced-price lunches.

This epidemic does not end when the school bell rings. And it doesn't take a break over summer vacation. Children still need food.

In the Hyde Park neighborhood, we worked with Clay Elementary of the St. Louis Public Schools for years. Now that Clay Elementary is closed during the summer months, Most Holy Trinity Catholic School and Academy graciously agreed to host our summer program.

In both schools, 100% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunches. Every single child.

Kids shouldn't be denied an education. They shouldn't be allowed to languish over the summer months, left without access to some stimulating activity that can prevent academic skill loss during their break. And on top of everything else going on in their lives, they shouldn't have to go hungry too.

I was happy to see so many folks packed into the Wohl Rec Center gym today to receive training on how to participate in the Summer Food Program. Their efforts will make sure that thousands of kids will have access to meals. We're excited to put up our yard sign in Hyde Park come July 6.






Elad Gross
President and CEO
Education Exchange Corps
www.EdExCo.org
Elad@EdExCo.org

If Kids Rule the World, That Doesn't Mean They're Driving, Right? (Or How We Made Our Leadership Game) Part I

This summer, kids will rule the world!

They will do it from an underground fortress of solitude that looks a lot like a church cafeteria. Satellite imagery, updating in real-time, will look a lot like a flat piece of paper with some plastic on top. And whatever happens will look a lot like fun, because (drum rolls now if you haven't started already) it is fun!

This post describes the physical and visual presentation of our Summer Leadership Academy: the game board. Our next posts will discuss how the game works and what volunteers do. And then, if we've got enough sugar lying around, we'll write about the challenges we faced and our herculean efforts to overcome them.

Any-who, BEHOLD! The Setting!

OK, so now it might look more like a pretty big cafeteria in a church, but allow your imagination to fill the gargantuan space! In each corner huddles a group of a country's greatest leaders, trying to guide their people through an uncertain world. The columns are decorated in different colors to signify who may caucus where. Flags and artwork line the walls, demonstrating the cultural accomplishments of the world's superpowers.

In the middle of this room sits a large world map, covered in figurines and drawings showing military movements, trade routes, and national boundaries. This map becomes the centerpiece of interest, a luring Jumanji puzzle where the journey doesn't end until the game does.

So the map!

From first glance, it looks like a poster with a little clamp on the end. But really, it's a robot in disguise!

The map is backed with sheet metal. That makes the map board magnetic. Before using just any metal, check if it is magnetic! Bring a magnet with you.

The middle layer is a printed sheet of paper. We generated a random map (actually, a bunch!), edited the image, and had it printed at a local shop.

Finally, the top level is a sheet of plastic. The plastic preserves the map and prevents tears. It also doubles as a dry-erase surface for when we draw our national boundaries and trade routes!

We attached little disc magnets to plastic toys. We used glue, but we're still searching for the right one. These magnets are so powerful, every once in a while they'll launch a piece at another if they're facing the right (wrong?) way on the ground.

Our world leaders are then ready to sail off into the unknown. 

And so the game is played, and at the end of each busy day, the map changes to reflect the decisions the kids made.

Because that's just what happens when kids rule the world.

Media Notice - This Summer, Kids Will Rule the World

Contact: Elad Gross

                         314-753-9033                                                                                                            Elad@EdExCo.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

This Summer, Kids Will Rule the World

At the Education Exchange Corps 2015 Summer Leadership Academy, children will lead multiple countries in an immersive, challenging, and fun global simulation game.

ST. LOUIS, MO – May 28, 2015—What happens when kids rule the world? The Education Exchange Corps will find out this summer!

The Education Exchange Corps is holding its 2015 Summer Leadership Academy in the Hyde Park neighborhood in the City of St. Louis to give kids space to lead, reflect, and learn through an immersive experience placing children in charge of the world for three weeks.

As the leaders of multiple countries, students will have to determine how they will govern, what their national strategy should be, and whether they should cooperate with other countries run by other students. These young leaders will face global events threatening world stability and domestic demands from their constituents, and they will have to decide how to prioritize.

“This is a world full of possibility,” said Elad Gross, President and CEO of the Education Exchange Corps. “We want to empower children now so they can fully appreciate their own capabilities and take that spark back to the classroom with them at the end of a fun summer.”

The Education Exchange Corps will also partner with local organizations to further immerse kids in dealing with global issues. ITEN, an entrepreneur support organization, will lend their expertise to students. "We are excited to show kids ways they can use technology and entrepreneurship as part of their leadership experience," said Linh Nguyen, Network Relationship Coordinator for ITEN.

The Summer Leadership Academy will start on July 6 and go until July 24, from 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM on weekdays. The program is hosted by Most Holy Trinity School and Academy at 1435 Mallinckrodt Street.

The Education Exchange Corps is looking for both full- and part-time volunteers to help run the program and teach. To get involved, contact Elad at Elad@EdExCo.org, or visit www.EdExCo.org.

###

The Education Exchange Corps (www.EdExCo.org) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to providing underserved children with better educational opportunities. Since 2008, the EEC has worked with over 2000 children and 200 volunteers in the City of St. Louis. Volunteers have served as summer teachers at EEC Summer Academies and part-time teaching assistants in classrooms during the regular school year.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EducationExchangeCorps
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EduXchangeCorps

ITEN (www.itenstl.org) provides a foundational system for entrepreneurs to work together towards building strong startups and a vibrant tech ecosystem. ITEN provides unique programs, events and access to resources that accelerate tech venture success.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/itenstlouis  
Twitter: https://twitter.com/itenstl

Dear St. Louis: Why Kids Need Us and How You Can Help

Dear St. Louis,

What happens when we put kids in charge of the world?

We're going to find out this summer!

I started a nonprofit organization seven years ago when I was in college called the Education Exchange Corps, and we've been working ever since to give underserved kids better educational opportunities. 

Each summer, we run a free summer program for kids and families. We put kids in leadership roles and give them opportunities to work on reading, writing, math, science, art, history, and communication skills, all while making sure they're having a great time doing it. We chose to get involved with kids during the summer because it is such an important time for kids' academic development. If we can prevent kids from losing so much knowledge over the summer, we will go a very long way to better preparing them for school and, eventually, running the world.

The outpouring of support St. Louis gave to kids this year was beautiful and heartwarming at a time when St. Louis really needed it. St. Louis still needs your passion. Tens of thousands of kids in St. Louis are growing up without enough opportunity, without being empowered to make their lives what they want them to be, without feeling like they matter. We really can change that. I've seen what happens when kids get the educational attention they need. They do great!

We can make this a moment we look back upon as the time when we chose not to let kids fall through the cracks, when we chose to make St. Louis a fair home for everyone. The process won't be easy, but it is surely the right and necessary thing to do. We must care more about our children than our comfort. You all have done that, and you have my eternal thanks.

But the work is not done. Our kids need more than a one-year quick-fix plan. They need a society that always values them. They need our sustained love and attention for years and years. The results are well worth the time. There are few experiences more worthwhile than helping a kid succeed.

To help folks get involved, we've designed our program to be flexible. The person who can give an hour a week has a role to play, just like the college student or retiree who wants to spend five days a week helping in a classroom. This long-term effort will take all of us, and we want to give every passionate person an opportunity to help kids.

So this summer, we're putting kids in charge of the world. Our summer academy will be an immersive simulation in the ways of global management, teaching valuable academic and life lessons along the way. One of the best ways to help kids learn is to trust them to lead. We'll be working with a group of kids in the Hyde Park neighborhood of St. Louis City, an area that has been abandoned by a lot of folks over the years. Our kids are still standing, and they need mentors to stand with them.

There may also be opportunities to help again at the Ferguson Library this summer. We're hard at work on that now.We’re also working with other technology companies to hold coding workshops and a “hackathon” for kids this summer. The program is called “Hack4Hope.”And for next year, we’re planning to help kids, families, and teachers through our regular school year program.

We would be honored to have your help.

If you have love in your heart and patience of spirit, you can be a great mentor for kids. You don’t need prior training. You just need to care. We’ll help you with the rest.

I hope you are willing to stay involved, even if it's not with us. We're happy to help you find ways to make St. Louis a better home for all. 
And if you'd like to give your time to help the kids we're working with, please let me know. You can email me directly at Elad@EdExCo.org or call me at 314-753-9033. Here's the description for our summer program: http://www.edexco.org/summer-academy.html.
Even if we're not the right fit for you, we'll try to guide you somewhere that would be great.

Together, we can build a better future. I hope to see you out there again, and for many days to come. Please do not hesitate to call on me.

Sincerely Yours,

Elad

Elad Gross

President and CEO

Education Exchange Corps

www.EdExCo.org

Announcing the Education Exchange Corps 2015 Summer Leadership Academy

The Education Exchange Corps 2015 Summer Leadership Academy is on!

Last year was the first time since 2008 we did not run a summer program. St. Louis City's public school district could not keep our partner school open last summer. Instead, we put our resources into working with the Ferguson Library to help teach kids when their school district was closed in August, and then again in November.

We took this last year to further develop our summer program. We researched a lot, we met a lot of people, we even tested our ideas on a group of very welcoming teachers willing to give us feedback. 

We found a new partner this summer that has been incredibly welcoming in the same neighborhood we were working in. We're excited to work with Most Holy Trinity Catholic School and Academy, who will be hosting our Summer Leadership Academy!

As it has always been, our academy is free for kids and families. Kids need high quality, stimulating, and fun summer programs, and we are happy to provide our covertly academic/overtly game-like summer program to our kids.

And we'd like your help too! If you're interested in volunteering as a long-term teacher, visiting as a one-time presenter, or providing other support, please visit our website to learn how you can, or send me an email at Elad@EdExCo.org.

When: July 6-24; 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM, Monday - Friday
Where: Most Holy Trinity School and Academy
              1435 Mallinckrodt Street
              St. Louis, MO 63107
What: EEC 2015 Summer Leadership Academy

Elad Gross

President and CEO

Education Exchange Corps

www.EdExCo.org

Elad@EdExCo.org

Call for Volunteers: EEC Instructors for Summer 2015 Leadership Academy

We will be holding our free Summer Leadership Academy in St. Louis City this July, and we invite members of the community to apply to be EEC Instructors. Our summer academy is designed to give underserved kids an excellent summer educational opportunity during which they will work on the core academic subjects while developing their own leadership skills. This is also a great opportunity for volunteers interested in working with kids as an instructor and mentor. EEC Instructors will receive ongoing training in classroom management, lesson planning, and differentiated instruction.

This year, our kids will play a global leadership game over three weeks during which they will have to make their countries’ decisions as they face multiple crises. We will also be inviting experts to help answer our kids’ questions. Volunteers will serve as national advisors, helping kids guide their own learning. Volunteers will also serve in more traditional classroom teaching roles for our youngest students. We work with kids from kindergarten through high school.

EEC Instructors include college students of diverse majors and backgrounds, teachers-in-training, retired teachers, highly-dedicated high school students, and many others. We can accommodate part-time volunteers.

Our program is scheduled for July 2015, tentatively from 7/6-7/24, weekdays from 9:00AM - 2:00PM. The exact timing will depend on site availability.

To learn more or get involved, please visit our website at www.EdExCo.org, or email or call Elad Gross at Elad@EdExCo.org or 314-753-9033. All applications to volunteer should be sent to Elad@EdExCo.org.