Helping Your Child Unlock Their Inner Elon, Mark or Steve

ON THE DESK OF OUR PRESIDENT SITS A 227 PAGE REPORT THAT WAS CREATED

IN DECEMBER 2019 IN A WORKSHOP OF OVER 50 INNOVATORS AND CREATIVE THINKERS FROM LABS, OFFICES AND THINK TANKS AROUND THE COUNTRY.

The aim in this manner struggle to at FutureProof that gets kids of the conceptualise, is how. How comfortable with the action report was to do we enable minds to un- of ‘creative destruction’ (inblend fourth lock powerful inventiveness novation) and that is to list industrial that creates real social and a set of farm animals - for technology economic value? example cows, pigs, sheep to current I believe that many and so on. And then list a socio-economic problems parents, myself included, set of household items like that the country was facing, have grappled with the how a toaster or fridge. Then, by with the simple question innovation can be instilled meshing the two together, underpinning the meth- and more so, as an educator we create additional value odology, “What would the - how to teach it. to add to the household impact be, if this problem The origins of the word item. The results have been was solved?” The result ‘innovation’ lie in the term wonderful to see. Kids have was the aforementioned ‘creative destruction’. This is come up with fridges that report, spelling out the most a verb that requires action. churn cream into butter and critical problems in South And the action is to peel toasters that toast bacon! Africa and coupled with this, apart two ideas, concepts or What is important at this some of the most innovative solutions and remove the in- stage of cultivating innovasolutions that a room full of trinsic value and then “Fran- tion in children is not to creative innovators could kenstein” the two together in focus on what is possible come up with. order to serve a new market, and practical, but to let them

It was with great intrigue with a new solution. have free reign with their that I got to participate What parents also need to imaginations to creatively in this workshop and the understand is that innova- destroy two items, whether designing of these solutions. tion doesn’t mean the in- literally or figuratively, and as The energy from these types vention of something brand they grow up the constraints of minds is palpable, like a new or radical innovation. of time, budget and feasibilswarm of bees that emits a Adding incremental value ity can be added to make hum. The report has caused to something that already what is impossible, possible. the same buzz in educa- exists is also innovative. And then the question can tion, calling for children The process of being able even be asked of our young to be exposed to innova- to dissect value and apply innovators and inventors, tive thinking and creative it to a new situation for new “What would the impact be, problem solving earlier on in people is what is important if this problem was solved?” their development. And what when innovating. educators and parents who We play a simple game By Lisa Illingworth, www.futureproofsa. were not raised or educated with the kids we work with com.