Our guiding principles

WE MAKE Cool Projects with Kids

We make large scale projects because they captivate and unleash the imagination.  We might challenge our kids to conceive of a mechanism that allows the smallest member of their team to safely lift the rest off the ground, a sophisticated engineering feat.  But our prompts go beyond the technical into the artistic terrain of world-building.  Why are they being lifted?  Who's lifting them?  Where does the scene take place? By asking kids to contextualize their design within a world, they are challenged to think holistically, projects offer more avenues for connection, and most importantly, we stretch the imagination to its limits. The complexity and scale of our design challenges also create authentic motivation for collaboration; it's near impossible (and a lot less fun) to bring these worlds to life without teamwork and solid communication.  

No kits.  No blueprints.  No guarantees it will work.  Just a challenge, curious minds, a cooperative environment, and a whole lot of screws.  
 

We Practice Creativity

Yup, practice. We think of creativity like any muscle that must be warmed up, stretched, challenged, nourished, rested then worked again. At Project Ember, we obsess over creating an environment that supports the formation of a creative habit. We say yes to crazy ideas. To create stability and restore energy amidst the uncertainty and challenges of a complex project, we use both ritual and play. We celebrate mistakes, and plan our project time so we can investigate and make revisions when things go wrong.
 

WE CULTIVATE Curiosity

Curiosity is at the heart of an engaging and rewarding life. It allows us to see the things we don't yet know as opportunities rather than an obstacles. When we value the ability to ask good questions over information recall,  it makes kids both better listeners and doers. This approach closes the gap between novice and expert, creating less intimidating environments for collaboration. A curious mind is humble and observant and its joy is infectious. It infuses learning with wonder and drives exploration of new terrain. To develop a curious mind is to invite a child to a lifelong practice of self-motivated learning.  
 

Grit GETS IT DONE

We ask kids to dream big and work hard. Our projects are ambitious; creative thinking and curiosity alone won't see us to the finish line.  We need elbow grease and resilience to get it done.  We need grit.

Grit separates brilliant ideas from brilliant creations. Thinking is easy, starting is hard, and finishing can seem nearly impossible. Grit get us to the other side of the hurdles that stand between us and successfully bringing our ideas to life.