MyMachine

All children have big ideas and share them easily. They are not yet constrained by their knowledge. Once an adult in the workforce, 85% of people never voice their ideas. Although several factors contribute, this shift is often rooted in childhood invalidation.

As we grow up, most of our ideas are systematically ridiculed and dismissed. That’s how we become experts in boycotting our own ideas and those of others (“won’t work”, “no budget”, “won’t meet the deadline”, etc.). And so, empowerment fades. We become silent, afraid of being labelled. This reality is brutal. And in most cases, it becomes a lifelong torment. 

We need a radical change because shattering children’s youthful confidence crushes a lifetime of joy and purpose in pursuing ideas. When children’s ideas and emotions are ignored, dismissed, or ridiculed, they grow up believing that their thoughts and ideas don’t matter. This invalidation doesn’t just stay in childhood. It follows you into adulthood, shaping your confidence and decision-making.

At MyMachine, we never dismiss those young ideas. We find ways to test and value them. They learn to bring their ideas to life by collaborating, respecting each other’s talents, and being resilient and persistent. That’s how we make them feel valued, so they grow up knowing it’s worth investing in their own ideas.

Plus, in the grand scheme of things, if we genuinely desire breakthrough solutions, we must nurture those who dare to think differently**** to tackle the challenges we face in creating a prosperous, inclusive future for all.
Those groundbreaking — often initially perceived as "crazy" — ideas come from those with the guts to express and test them. No matter the scope, whether the idea is personal, to help a family member, to improve their neighbourhood, or to tackle a global issue, it all starts with creative confidence: going beyond the fear of the unknown, the fear of taking the first step, the fear of losing control, and the fear of being judged. 

Children — innately — have the key to unlocking their creative confidence. They show us, the adults, the way. Because they can and because they want to! And so should we.

With our unique & multi-award-winning methodology, students in elementary classes, university students, and vocational/technical secondary students co-create a 'Dream Machine' invented by the children. Anything goes, as long as they really, really want it.

Quick video introduction: https://youtu.be/DOpUxpUrRVQ

Whether you want to solve a challenge in your job or neighbourhood, create something fun, start your own company or whether you want to come up with a solution for something personal or a global issue, all require the creative confidence to express your ideas and bring them to life.

This is where (in the words of Harvard University) MyMachine delivers the "I can do that" perspective to all participants.

Students__
__learn that having ideas is important. That you shouldn't be afraid to express your ideas -even if they sound a bit weird or challenging in the beginning. They learn what it takes to bring an idea to life; and that you can do it by collaborating, respecting each other's talents, and being persistent and resilient.

Teachers and Professors__
__experience the power of project-based learning. A superb way to improve our outdated education system. Students in Project-Based Learning classrooms significantly outperform students in typical classrooms (scoring up to 28 percentage points higher) according to four studies released by Lucas Education Research. It is also proven that Schools with PBL classes have fewer problems with bullying and violence while outperforming in academic results.

And it's not just all hard work, the best part of it? It is also crazy engaging!

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Invented by kids:

• The Making-People-Happy-Again-Machine
• The Revolving Bunk-Bed (The-Never-Discuss-Anymore-Who-Gets-To-Sleep-On-Top-Machine)
• The Giving-Compliments-Machine
• The Stop-Poverty-Machine
• The Homework-Making-Machine
• The Candy-Making-Machine
• The Chase-Away-Evil-Ghosts-Machine
• ...and many, many more. Discover them here: http://dreamsdrop.mymachine-global.org

So, what is your Dream Machine?

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Your gift will make a lasting difference in helping us achieve our goal of bringing our powerful model to as many students as possible, worldwide.

With over 1.58 Million Student-Hours of impact, students on all continents have already learned that they can also contribute to society, rather than just be consumers of it.

We have local operators in the USA plus 14 other countries: South Africa, Slovenia, Slovakia, Portugal, Norway, Mexico, Kosovo, Kenya, Germany, Czechia, Croatia, Belgium, and Armenia. And via our annual MyMachine DreamsDrop Campaign, we collaborate with elementary school teachers in over 50 countries.