Toys for Elementary Math Education in the Developing World

Project H Design is an Ecolect partner and a global design nonprofit who believes design can change the world. Their team has assembled a group of industrial designers, social entrepreneurs, and manufacturers to conceive and produce a toy for elementary math education with applications in the developing world and the US retail markets. Their case study is the Kutamba School for AIDS orphans, located in Uganda. Project H’s team will develop a locally-made version of the toy for Kutamba and broader distribution in the developing world, along with a sister US retail version based on the same system.

In addition to taking donations on their site, Project H is submitting their proposal on Ideablob “the living, breathing community of ideas”. Their team is striving to delve more deeply into the design development, prototyping, user testing and distribution. According to Emily Pilloton, Founder of Project H Design, “We will be able to fund the initial production of the math toys for both the Kutamba case study school as well as the US retail production and associated legal/intellectual property protection.”

If you like what Project H is up to, sign-into Ideablob and give them a vote!

Making Greenburg Greener While Improving Their Community

Images from the National Geographic Society. Video from KTKA 49 ABC News.

Students at Kansas State University are taking the initiative to make Greenburg more sustainable while rebuilding their community. Their effort is being called Project Cubed and it aims to bring “pavilion cubes of sustainable living to Greenburg”. Every cube they are creating is eco-friendly. One might recycle rain water while another provides a place for gathering bottles and cans for recycling. Perhaps the best aspect of the project is that the students are focused on carefully designing and constructing each cube with the equally important purpose of being able to withstand severe tornado weather. The project was created in response to the massive F5 category tornado that ripped through Greensburg in 2007. It flattened the town and caused 8 deaths. With winds of 205 miles an hour (330 kilometers) the tornado was the first first recorded F5 storm since 1999 in the US.

Kansas State University Architecture student, Melody Meek mentioned that ”it’s one way to connect the world of architecture with people in our community. Design can really help improve lives. This could start to lay the groundwork of how we can respond to natural disasters such as tornadoes.” Their green initiative has been in the planning and development stages for 2 semesters. The students of Project Cubed are scheduled to deliver the finished product to the Greenburg community on the 4th of May 2008, the anniversary date of last year’s devastating tornado which destroyed so much of their local architecture and infrastructure.

Finding Solutions

Finding Solutions from Mark Dworkin on Vimeo.

Since 1987, Moving Images Video Project has produced and distributed television documentaries that encourage peace, justice, and environmental preservation. This video is a preview for a series of documentaries about real solutions to environmental and social sustainability. In a time when sustainability is a catchphrase, some people really are discovering more earth-friendly ways to live, grow food, and do business for example while being more respectful of our environment and improving lives.

Finding Solutions is a a documentary series on sustainability. It’s a presentation of stories about people and societies, highlighting individuals who have found better, greener and more improved ways to live. Covered in the segment are case studies including Curitiba, a city in southern Brazil considered to be one of the most sustainable cities in the world. Kerala, a state in India known for its high standard for health and society. Farmers markets in North America, where farmers are rediscovering that organic methods are actually better all around. Sophisticated industrial cooperatives in Italy are creating serious competition for big international corporations while providing good employment and offering the highest standard of living in the country.

Moving Images Video Project is a non-profit corporation based in Washington state.