Cardboard has always been a popular material for kids to explore, and the Science Museum of Minnesota (SMM) frequently used cardboard activities in tabletop activities. In 2015, SMM hosted a“Cardboard Day” which coincided with Global Cardboard Challenge’s“Day of Play.” This event filled 4,000 square feet of unused temporary exhibition space with cardboard, tape, and scissors and observed visitors for four consecutive weekends. The enthusiastic response led to the opening of Cardboard Gallery as a three-month temporary exhibition in 2016.
Embracing a Growth Mindset for Innovation
Embracing a growth mindset is the first step in building a culture of innovation. Developing the right infrastructure, leveraging technology, encouraging collaboration and partnership, and fostering entrepreneurial education and training are all critical for building a culture of innovation. This mindset is a key driver of economic growth and development, especially in regions like Africa, where entrepreneurs face unique challenges.
Understanding Growth and Fixed Mindsets
Psychologist Carol Dweck made the idea of fixed vs. growth mindsets famous with her book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. A fixed mindset is the belief that one’s abilities are what they are and cannot be changed, while a growth mindset is the belief that one can always learn new things if one makes enough effort. Successful people are those who embrace a growth mindset, which is key for learners to be open to new ideas and processes and believe they can learn anything with enough effort.
Growth Mindset Activities for Kids
Growth mindset activities can help kids embrace their mistakes and keep working toward success. Some examples of growth mindset activities include reading a growth mindset book, folding an origami penguin, learning growth mindset words, comparing fixed and growth mindsets, changing words to change the mindset, making a cootie catcher, and discovering neuroplasticity. These activities can help children recognize a fixed mindset and learn to adopt a growth mindset instead.
Fixed vs. Growth Mindset in Entrepreneurship
Carol Dweck’s research focuses on mindset and how it determines success. A fixed mindset believes abilities are fixed and avoids challenges and criticism, while a growth mindset sees natural abilities as a starting point and believes in learning and improving. Mindset is adopted early in life and influenced by how children are taught to judge themselves. A growth mindset sees failure as a problem to be faced, dealt with, and learned from. For entrepreneurs, the two mindsets are not interchangeable, and embracing a growth mindset is essential for success.
