Our Purpose
Turning Cardboard into Knowledge Matters Now.
A Letter from the Founder
There aren’t enough science and math teachers. Forty states in the US have shortages. Same problem in the European Union and everywhere else.
Scientific illiteracy is spreading. Schools try to stop it. Many schools ask educators who have degrees in other subjects to teach math and science. Educators who step up like that are heroic.
I’m Tom Bast. I taught sixth grade for over a decade. I have part of the solution to this global problem.
The Cardboard Toy World enables any educator to provide a project-based learning experience in engineering, mechanics, geometry and design. It is made for a teacher stepping outside their core subject areas to teach science and math.
All of the teaching is in videos on YouTube. It is a perfect combination of online media and hands-on active learning. When we complete a Cardboard Toy World project, schools meet national and international educational standards. To start, all we need are basic school supplies, the blueprints, and a way to watch the video (a phone works great).
Learners learn by making mechanical toys. Motivation is high because it’s really satisfying to make a toy. We become toymaking engineers, from drafting to assembly, and we know the math, the geometry, and the mechanics of our toy.
Please get in touch. I would love your input.
- Tom Bast
We Will Help Solve the Global STEM Education Crisis with Toymaking
Worldwide math and science scores are declining, according to both the Programme for International Student Assessment and the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study.
In 2022, US students delivered their worst performance ever, ranking below average globally.
Why? Because one out of every four US school districts does not have enough STEM educators.
This is happening just as Artificial Intelligence begins to change the sciences forever. Soon, more and more engineering will be accomplished by artificial intelligence instead of humans.
To prepare for this future, learners need to be able to conceptualize how things work. We need to be able to create elaborate, precise prompts. We need to be able to look at AI-drafted plans and figure out what they mean. We need to be able to ask intelligent, precise questions.
The only people who will be in a position of power relative to artificial intelligence will be those of us who have these abilities.
Cardboard Toy World projects teach these abilities directly. At the same time, they satisfy international educational standards in design, mechanics, geometry, and engineering.
Made for Educators To Use Now
Educators can implement Cardboard Toy World units at will, with few resources and little preparation.
Cardboard Toy World videos deliver all of the instruction. Educators and schools satisfy international educational standards in design, mechanics, geometry, and engineering. Cardboard Toy World projects are easily integrated into maker stations, independent or small group lessons, and classroom instruction.
Learners get a hands-on, deeply impactful experience of mathematical, scientific and engineering principles. We develop a comprehension of mechanics and design. We understand blueprints. We learn how to ask the right questions. We learn deduction and problem solving.