When Students Compete in STEAM Challenge, Everyone Wins
The Dan & Cassidy Towriss IDEA Space KC came alive with creativity, collaboration, and purpose this month, as we kicked off the EcoSpark Waste Reduction Challenge. This exciting initiative brought metro middle school students and teachers together to tackle a pressing environmental issue: reducing food waste in school communities.
The EcoSpark Challenge is a partnership among IDEA Space, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Mid-America Regional Council’s Solid Waste Management District and social entrepreneur Rick Caplan. The day began with an introduction to design thinking, a problem-solving approach that empowers students to think critically, collaborate and innovate. Students and teachers learned how to break down complex problems and generate actionable solutions. By the end of the morning session, teams were ready to dive into the challenge: design a system, solution or prototype to reduce food waste or improve recycling efforts within their schools.
STEAM Experience Create Future-Proof Skills
Throughout the workshop, students brainstormed ideas, discussed possible approaches and explored ways to make a meaningful impact. Guided by the expertise of Rick Caplan and our IDEA Space team, students began to envision solutions that could transform their schools’ food waste practices.
What makes this challenge unique is its flexibility. Teams can create physical prototypes such as new food storage tools or waste collection devices, or develop conceptual systems, like streamlined recycling processes or educational campaigns to raise awareness about food waste. The possibilities are endless, and we can’t wait to see what they come up with!
The inspiration for EcoSpark stems from a profound need to engage students in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) learning at an early age. As a middle school math and high school engineering teacher, I witnessed firsthand the transformative power of real-world problem-solving opportunities. High school students often have access to these experiences, but middle schoolers are frequently left out. At IDEA Space, our mission is to build students’ comfort and confidence in STEAM learning as early and often as possible. By exposing students to STEAM principles at a young age, we empower them to envision themselves in future careers and equip them to make a difference now—not just in the future.
Transformative Learning Requires the Right “Space”
The EcoSpark Challenge is more than a competition; it’s a collaborative effort powered by a unique partnership. IDEA Space provides not only state-of-the-art tools and equipment but also a team of compassionate and dedicated educators with deep expertise in design thinking and project-based learning. By partnering with IDEA Space, participants gain access to the right resources and the right people to turn their visions into reality and drive meaningful change. The workshop exemplified how this combination of space, tools and expertise creates transformative learning experiences that prepare students and educators to shape the future of Kansas City.
This event would not have been possible without the generous grant funding from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and MARC SWMD. Their support ensures that we can provide these students with the resources, guidance, and opportunities to become changemakers in their communities. Over the next month, students will refine their ideas and develop business plans, supported every step of the way by the IDEA Space team and social entrepreneur Rick Caplan.
What’s Next? We Can’t Wait to Find Out
We’re already looking forward to February 26, when students will return to IDEA Space to perfect their pitches and present their solutions to a panel of environmental and school experts. The EcoSpark event was a powerful reminder of the potential young people have to solve real-world problems when given the tools, guidance and opportunity. We can’t wait to see the innovative ideas they bring to life—proving once again that our students are not just the leaders of tomorrow, but the problem-solvers of today.
Stay tuned for updates as these teams work to turn their ideas into impactful actions!
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STEAM Experience Create Future-Proof Skills
Throughout the workshop, students brainstormed ideas, discussed possible approaches and explored ways to make a meaningful impact. Guided by the expertise of Rick Caplan and our IDEA Space team, students began to envision solutions that could transform their schools’ food waste practices.
What makes this challenge unique is its flexibility. Teams can create physical prototypes such as new food storage tools or waste collection devices, or develop conceptual systems, like streamlined recycling processes or educational campaigns to raise awareness about food waste. The possibilities are endless, and we can’t wait to see what they come up with!
The inspiration for EcoSpark stems from a profound need to engage students in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) learning at an early age. As a middle school math and high school engineering teacher, I witnessed firsthand the transformative power of real-world problem-solving opportunities. High school students often have access to these experiences, but middle schoolers are frequently left out. At IDEA Space, our mission is to build students’ comfort and confidence in STEAM learning as early and often as possible. By exposing students to STEAM principles at a young age, we empower them to envision themselves in future careers and equip them to make a difference now—not just in the future.
Transformative Learning Requires the Right “Space”
The EcoSpark Challenge is more than a competition; it’s a collaborative effort powered by a unique partnership. IDEA Space provides not only state-of-the-art tools and equipment but also a team of compassionate and dedicated educators with deep expertise in design thinking and project-based learning. By partnering with IDEA Space, participants gain access to the right resources and the right people to turn their visions into reality and drive meaningful change. The workshop exemplified how this combination of space, tools and expertise creates transformative learning experiences that prepare students and educators to shape the future of Kansas City.
This event would not have been possible without the generous grant funding from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and MARC SWMD. Their support ensures that we can provide these students with the resources, guidance, and opportunities to become changemakers in their communities. Over the next month, students will refine their ideas and develop business plans, supported every step of the way by the IDEA Space team and social entrepreneur Rick Caplan.
What’s Next? We Can’t Wait to Find Out
We’re already looking forward to February 26, when students will return to IDEA Space to perfect their pitches and present their solutions to a panel of environmental and school experts. The EcoSpark event was a powerful reminder of the potential young people have to solve real-world problems when given the tools, guidance and opportunity. We can’t wait to see the innovative ideas they bring to life—proving once again that our students are not just the leaders of tomorrow, but the problem-solvers of today.
Stay tuned for updates as these teams work to turn their ideas into impactful actions!
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Middle school students begin to brainstorm solutions to reduce food waste in part one of the EcoSpark Challenge. at IDEA Space
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Our team worked with several partners to engage educators in the STEAM challenge.
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Collaboration, problem solving and hands-on creativity are hallmarks of a successful STEAM project.
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A combination of space, tools and expertise creates transformative learning experiences that prepare students with future-proof skills.
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The more experiences like this students have, the greated their comfort with STEAM learning that can lead to careers in high-demand fields.
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