“What If”? How teaching 8 year olds changed my life
Our lives are made of moments, most of which fade into distant memory. Why some stand out is a mystery. Sometimes it’s trauma, insight or exhilaration that locks the memory in place for future reference and reflection. The birth of my son was one such moment.
It was July 16th 2004. 10 months before, surrounded by friends and family, Hilary and I had gotten married in San Francisco.
That morning, after a long and worrisome night, we were blessed with a son. We named him Theo in honor of my maternal grandfather who had been a surgeon in Cape Town, South Africa. Once Hilary and Theo were settled and sleeping, I walked out of the hospital and into the morning sun.
It was one of those crystal-clear San Francisco days and from Parnassus Street on top of Pacific Heights I could see the whole city below. Watching thousands of people going about their daily routines, I remember thinking “Nobody could possibly understand what I’ve just experienced”. At the exact time I realized its inherent absurdity, that birth and death were the only two things that everybody was guaranteed to experience.
8 years later we had moved back East to Princeton, NJ. Theo had been joined by my daughter Phoebe and each morning they walked to the same school I had attended a child. It was 2013 and I was 42.
Late one night, I was watching Charlie Rose and reached the moment that changed my life (though I didn’t know it at the time). Charlie’s guest that night was Peter Thiel, founder of Paypal, investor in Facebook and a notably prescient entrepreneur. He was there to promote his most recent project— “20 Under 20".
I listened as he explained to Charlie his hypothesis that the next big bubble was in higher education — a function of the growing disparity between the cost of college and the earning power of recent graduates. His answer — “20 Under 20" ( aka. the Thiel Fellowships) was $100K investment in 20 students who were willing to accept his terms —drop out of college, start a company around an idea and move to California to participate in his program and plug into his network of like minded mentors.
The next morning I went into my office and mentioned having seen the program to a friend. “I agree with his hypothesis but to make a real difference you’d need to start much earlier. “The kids he’s choosing have already won the educational lottery — you could drop them in the Congo and they’d still invent desktop fusion”. We really need something for 8 year olds My friend laughed but I wasn’t kidding. “What would you teach them and how would you do it?” He asked? I’m not usually at a loss for words or ideas, but this left me stumped and silent. That could have been the end of the story, except for one small detail. I couldn’t stop thinking about it.
I thought of my children, Theo and Phoebe and wondered what college would be like when they were ready in 2023. What would they need to know? Where would they go? How much would it cost? And most importantly, what would the world of the future look like? It seemed like a scary place.
These questions lodged in my mind — I thought of it like a puzzle, from the time I woke up till the moment I went to bed. Over the next month I debated with myself and reached one core truth. Actually, a single word. “Entrepreneur”. We had to teach our kids to think like entrepreneurs.
Entrepreneurship is scary — a creative act that requires a willing suspension of disbelief. What I did next, required a leap of faith. I placed an ad in our local newspaper for a program that would meet after school once a week for 6 weeks. I promised parents that in their kids would take a $50 budget and work together to invent, design and launch a product.
My wife agreed to help me and we called it 8 and Up. Within 24 hours we knew we had hit a nerve — the Pilot class sold out and we had to limit it to 22 children. But the hard part was yet to come — how would you explain entrepreneurship to an 8 year old?
Can you remember being 8? I can. It was 1979 — I vaguely remember Walter Cronkite reading news about the hostages in Iran. I remember smells, of baseball cards and the odd, dry gum that came in the packs with them. I remember smells — onion grass in springtime and incense at my parents’ barbeques — the sounds of friends laughter, the feel of a basketball in springtime as it cracked my fingertips from practicing too long. I remember it clearly as a such a poignant age — the time when the fragility and naivete of childhood began to meld with the strength and confidence of young adulthood.
Most of all, I recall the power of my own imagination at the time. In those days, we had only 3 channels of TV (which was black and white at my house and frowned upon in my house). Books, on the other hand, were encouraged and the stories in them were a magical portal into other worlds where heroes lived and anything was possible. At 4 my father read me the Lord of the Rings and by 8 I had read it to myself. When Dungeons and Dragons was released around the same time as Star Wars hit theaters, I remember feeling as if my own tiny world was coming to life in the real world.
But back to our story. As the years went on, my education progressed — my classmates and I deepened our skills in math, languages, literature and history. And for what? Clearly to prepare us for “adulthood” — for responsibilities, citizenship and to earn a living. Somehow, this last one remained a mystery to me. Both of my parents were academics and I grew up sheltered from the idea of overt commercialism. Yes, they both did jobs and were paid for it, but the exchange of value never quite clicked for me — only years later did I begin to understand how society fits together and the role money plays within the tapestry of life.
So there I was. It was May 15th, 2013 — the day of the first 8 and Up class in Princeton. In an hour, 22 kids would fill a room to begin learning about entrepreneurship. Most of the class was prepared already in Powerpoint, yet there was also a fun, whimsical theatricality to the idea — a hope that I could speak to them as if talking to the 2nd grade me. A Makerbot would print a 3D bust of Albert Einstein as they entered. Each kid would have their picture taken upon entering and would leave with it printed on a cover of TIME magazine dated 1 year in the future entitled “This Kid’s Idea Will Change the Future”.
But I still needed one thing. One big thing — a definition for the word “Entrepreneur” that an 8 year old could easily understand. This is what I came up with:
“An entrepreneur creates the future by asking ‘What If?’ “
It turns out this is a magical idea, for kids, for grownups, for me. In the year that has followed, we’ve expanded the company from Princeton to Brooklyn and Manhattan. 140 kids have taken our class and they’ve each begun by asking the same question. “What If?” Each one’s answer has been amazing. “What if there was an alarm clock that woke you up with a message you recorded for yourself the night before?” Meet the “Record-a-Clock.” “ What if there was a t-shirt that let your play rock-paper-scissors with friends?” Rock-Paper-Scissors t-shirt industries, created by a team of 3rd graders is here to help. And “What if there were glasses that helped you see in the dark?” Meet the “Anything Glasses” (Made from cardboard, duct tape and a flashlight, they also come with a curtain to block out things you don’t want to see.)
And the Acorn? Most kids jumped right in during the Pilot class but my son Theo struggled. Like his father, he overthinks things. Finally, in the 3rd week, something I told him clicked. The lesson was to “Make Something People Want” and to illustrate the point, I explained that every idea is a story — not just a thing or object, but a tool that helps people feel an emotion. In school that week the kids had taken a field trip to the Princeton Battle Field where they had seen a famous oak tree — the Mercer Oak. I explained that if you sold an acorn from the historic tree, people might pay $100 to have a “piece of Princeton history” in their yard.
This baffled Theo. “But it’s just an acorn”, he said. Each night, we’d discuss it as I put him to sleep — he worried nobody would like it, that nobody would want one. Finally, he decided to trust me, and together we made fancy boxes and labelled them “Acorns of Hope” — promising that a portion of the proceeds would be donated to Homefront, an organization that helps homeless families in Mercer County. We sold 1 acorn to my high school friend Josh Harlan.
In the fall, we visited the tree and collected 50 acorns. They stayed in a bag on my desk over the winter and a few hungry worms ate 45 of them. 5 sprouted and were potted, of which 1 survived. As Spring 2014 came, it sat on my office shelf. Often I’d travel and return to find the soil dry — we were sure it had died.
And then, in early June, it sprouted. First 1 tiny sprout, then 2 leaves, now 4. When he saw it, Theo just smiled.
The last year has changed my life — it’s shown me my passion and purpose. I was born to teach. But this isn’t a story about me. It’s about family, love and education. It’s about Theo and how he tells the story of the acorn to his own children.
Princeton, N.J. (this is the lead from last week's big article in the Wall Street Journal )
Jensen Bergman spent weeks preparing to pitch his team's business idea to investors. Minutes before the meeting, he was playing ping-pong outside the board room to stay calm.
Jensen is 9 years old.
"If they say no, it's going to be really upsetting for us," he said as one of his teammates wheeled up beside him on a tiny scooter.
Jensen was taking part in a program called "8 and Up" that teaches young children about entrepreneurship. As a culmination of the class, which met for six weeks in Princeton, N.J., and cost $350, Jensen and his 15 peers would soon pitch their idea—"Tiger KidsClub," a Friday night hangout space for children—to real, grown-up investors at Tigerlabs, a local seed fund.
This Man Thinks Your Child Could be the Next Zuckerberg
A really nice piece on us this week from our friends at Pip and Pea .
Meet Reuben Steiger. He’s a charismatic, smartly suited, archetypal silver fox. And he happens to think your little one might just be the next A-list entrepreneur; a budding Bill Gates, the next generation Tory Burch or perhaps Mark Cuban in training.
Steiger - who’s a serial entrepreneur himself (Linden Lab, Millions of Us and Virtual Greats all lay in his wake) – is the founder of 8 And Up, an educational program designed to change the way kids think about their own potential. The concept is simple: armed with a $50 budget, children meet over the course of six weeks and by the end, they have a product they invented that they sell. CONTINUED HERE
In October we undertook one of the biggest steps in our little company's history - expanding beyond the town of Princeton and into New York. We were lucky enough to hook up with the folks at the Made in NY Media Center in Brooklyn just as they were opening. Our 20 students were a real mix - some came from St. Ann's School in Brooklyn Heights, others from the Brooklyn School of Inquiry and some traveled from as far away as Queens.
On December 15th, 2013, this inaugural Brooklyn class of young entrepreneurs showcased their work at the Made in NY Media Center in DUMBO.
We congratulate them all and hope you enjoy this video of the presentations and feel free to purchase products for sale in our store.
Thank you Brooklyn for the warm welcome - we look forward to seeing much more of you in 2014.
Before we hunker down for a day of feasting with family, I wanted to update you on what’s been a whirlwind of a year for us here at 8 and Up.
The Beginning
It all started in March with a hunch that the same creativity and adventure that makes entrepreneurship so much fun for adults might be a great way to teach kids. We started small – an ad in the local paper invited parents to enroll their 3rd graders in a 6-week Pilot where they’d use a $50 budget to make a product to sell.
The response was amazing – 22 spaces filled in the first day. Over the next several weeks, the kids learned basic ideas like “an entrepreneur creates the future by asking ‘What If?’ “ On Demo Day they launched their inventions which ranged from the Fingo finger massager to “Monthly Minds” a series of collectibles celebrating great thinkers.
Can we do this for real?
That was the question we asked ourselves. Over the summer we assembled a small angel syndicate with backgrounds at the Ford Foundation, Princeton University, the Institute for Advanced Study and various venture capital funds. With their support, we have embarked on a mission to create a creating a global movement to teach entrepreneurship and hands-on creativity to young people.
The Fall
In October we were able to offer 2 classes in Princeton to a mix of new and returning students. At the same time, 8 and Up expanded to New York in association with newly-launched NY Media Center, an initiative spearheaded by Mayor Bloomberg and intended to be a hub for the technology, media and business communities in the city. We’ve been able to offer 2 full scholarships and plan to continue doing so as we grow.
What’s Next?
A celebration, of course! In conjunction with our Brooklyn kids' Demo Day, we'd like to bring you, your families and friends together to promote and celebrate our movement. Please join us from 1- 4 PM on Sunday December 15th at the NY Media Center as we launch 20 new companies ranging from the “Apartment Archery Set” to the “Eyes in the Back of Your Head” glasses. If you haven’t seen the space, it’s really quite special and we’re planning a great line-up of entertainment, games, food and drink. RSVP toChristina by December 7th.
How You Can Help
1. Support a young entrepreneur! Products are available at our online store and make great gifts.
2. Spread the word by following us on Facebook, Twitter or email us.
3. Join Us. We’re hiring! If you know smart, creative people with an interest in design, entrepreneurship and education, send them our way.
4. Stay tuned for information on our classes beginning in January in Brooklyn, Manhattan and Princeton!
What we’re trying to do is hard – challenging kids by inspiring them to build whatever they imagine without fear of failure. I’d like to thank everyone who has made 8 and Up possible so far. I hope it’s just the beginning of a wonderful story for all of us.
Happy Thanksgiving,
Reuben and the 8 and Up Team.
It’s been a busy summer here at 8 and Up. Yes, there was lots of Dairy Queen and beach time, but we’ve also had a laser focus on putting together the resources, plan and team so that we can grow. Fall classes will begin here in Princeton in the beginning of October and also in NY.
Meantime, last week we joined a fantastic lineup of speakers at the Digital Kids Education Summit , hosted by our good friends from Engage Digital and Kidswire..
It was amazing to see all the energy in our - thought we'd share the presentation Reuben gave to close the Summit.
Teaching the Next Generation of Entrepreneurs from reuben steiger
8 and Up is launching in New York! Spread the Word!
We are thrilled to announced that 8 and Up is launching in NY on October 10th at the stunning new NY Media Center in DUMBO.
We have 48 slots open for 3 classes to be held Thursdays and Saturdays. If you're a NY parent w/ innovative kids we want to hear from you (or you friends). Sign up at www.8andup.com
"Their name says it all: “8 and Up.” Founded by entrepreneur Reuben Steiger, a Princeton native and Princeton High School graduate, this group of 8- to 10-year-olds was part of a pilot program to test out Mr. Steiger’s challenge: Would kids that age be excited about creating small companies and using a $50 budget to fund their ideas?
The answer, as evidenced by the enthusiasm at a recent end-of-term show-and-tell, is a resounding “yes.” Seated in a circle with their parents looking on proudly from behind, the kids took turns demonstrating their inventions. There was the iPad Supporter, Cassian O’Beirne’s imaginative invention that hooks onto a headboard to allow reading in bed. There was the Egg Cracker machine, Abbey Walden and Luisa Boekelman’s system for separating egg yolks and whites.
Liam Goldstein’s Fingo, a finger massager; Nate Howard and Jacob Schwartz’s Cooling Hat, which keeps the wearer cool via a fan attached to a baseball cap; Allison Wilson’s “Day at the Beach” pillow; Alex Erickson’s “Pencils Down!” pencil clock; Sarah Rackowski’s Guppy Separator that keeps little fish safe from the bigger ones in a tank — these and several others showed the ingenuity that Mr. Steiger had a hunch was there, but untapped.)
Some days are better than other when you're starting a company. Yesterday was one of those days at 8 and Up.
I was plugging away at my desk, creating post-class surveys for parents and knocking tasks of the never-ending list when suddenly I heard at the door, "Reuben, I'd like to introduce you to the Mayor". (as a sidebar, there are a few people who have inspired us here in the early days at 8 and Up including Sir Ken Robinson and . . . . Cory Booker). It's a funny feeling to be fanboyish, but ever since seeing "Streetfight" about his campaign against Newark Mayor Sharpe James, he's been a hero of mine.
So imagine the surprise when I looked up and saw him there. He came into the office and we discussed our shared passion for innovating to improve the educational system in the US. The support, encouragement and pledge to help will be a moment I'll always remember. Thanks Cory and you have my vote in October.
PRINCETON — Starting on the road to becoming an entrepreneur can begin before your child even is allowed to cross the street on their own.
A new start-up, 8 and Up, is geared toward building a child’s ability to successfully visualize, launch and own their own business. The first graduating class celebrated their exciting inventions and even secured their first retailer, on Wednesday.
“What we are trying to do is create a movement around teaching by using entrepreneurship because you can teach the grit, the determination and the creativity through that,” said Reuben Steiger, founder of 8 and Up.
When we launched 8 and Up's Pilot 6 weeks ago, we had no idea what to expect. Would children between the ages of 8 and 10 be excited about creating small companies and using a $50 budget to fund and build their idea?
The answer seems to be "Yes"!. So far, the kids have invented and built products that ranging from a machine that separates egg-whites from yolks to something called "Acorns of Hope", a product designed to let Princeton residents buy acorns descended from the original Mercer Oak, with proceeds going to support our county's homeless families through an organization called Homefront .
We've had weekly special guests ranging from Jessica Durrie who owns Small World Coffee to an Harish Srinivasan, an 11 year old entrepreneur visiting from Chennai India to Adrian Chernoff, former NASA guy, Disney Imagineer and leader of GM's Car of the Future initiative.
Next week, our special guest will be Marco Cucci the owner of Thomas Sweet who'll be sharing his experiences running an ice-cream company and providing treats to celebrate as the kids present their inventions.
We're thrilled for all our 8 and Uppers and grateful to everyone who has supported us so far with their ideas, inspiration and encouragement. We hope this is just the beginning, for these young entrepreneurs and many more.
Just Announced! Imagineer, futurist and leader of GM's Car of the Future Initiative Adrian Chernoff will be our Guest Inventor at 8 and Up on June 5th!
Our first week's guest was local superstar Jessica Durrie, founder of Small World Coffee. Last week we had Harish Srinivasan, an 11 year old entrepreneur from Chennai who is creating an app that lets chess players pay for expert advice from world-ranked players. ( Cool fact: his great grandfather won the Nobel Prize in physics! )
Who's coming next? Stay tuned - could be the Google guys or maybe the owner of Thomas Sweet Ice Cream. . . I wonder who the class would prefer?
One of the exercises today was to design a board game using animals and dice, The kids worked in groups of 4 and it was amazing to see their inventiveness. We'll share results soon so stay tuned.
Phoebe with her Time Magazine cover from last week's launch class. It's the "Invention Issue" and the lead article is "This Kid's Invention Will Change the World" by Thomas Friedman (took some creative liberties on the author - let's just assume it's my distant cousin Tommy Friedman who runs some random blog and not the esteemed NY Times columnist. ;-)
Today's kids learn differently, Reuben Steiger believes. Whether it's from video games or Google or other technology, the key is to tap into kids' learning style to develop skills that employers seek.
"An entrepreneur is someone who looks at the world, sees something that doesn’t exist but should, and they make it."
After all, aren’t someone's knowledge, creativity and abilities more important than a college pedigree?
“I thought about it in terms of my kids,” Steiger said. “What’s important for them to be learning right now? It’s no longer about knowing the answers to questions, but knowing what questions are interesting.”
We really like this book and the way it demystifies the invention process. "Reality is just a collection of STUFF that people like you . . . just MADE UP"
