tl;dr - A collaboration between Sweets Kendamas and Nouns DAO featuring a design contest for a line of Nouns-themed kendamas, a trick competition, and a charitable donation to the Sweets Kendama Foundation to help them continue their "mindfulness through play" education programs for kids.
I highly recommend watching these short videos before reading the rest of the proposal
Kendama is a traditional Japanese skill toy that consists of a handle (ken), a pair of cups (sarado), and a ball (tama) connected by a string. Its origins can be traced back several centuries, with roots in both Japanese and Western cultures. The modern kendama evolved from the classic Japanese game called "Hyakunin Isshu Karuta" and the French cup-and-ball game "bilboquet." Over time, kendama has evolved from a simple children's toy into a tool for art, competition, and mindfulness, attracting a global following. Today, it is not only a popular pastime but also a medium for educational programs and community-building activities.
A leader in popularizing kendama globally, Sweets Kendamas stands as one of the largest and most mainstream kendama companies. Known for its professional team and presence in major retailers like Target, the company embodies innovation and widespread appeal.
The Sweets Kendama Foundation, a non-profit organization, was established in 2018 with the mission of promoting mindfulness through playful activities. Joshua Grove, a longtime mindfulness practitioner, founded the foundation after recognizing kendama's potential for fostering mindfulness skills in a fun and engaging way. His discovery of kendama in 2010 led him to merge his passion for mindfulness with his expertise in kendama to create the Foundation.
The Foundation's primary focus is on teaching social-emotional learning, growth mindset, and mindfulness through a series of challenging yet enjoyable physical activities, primarily utilizing kendamas. By using kendama as a tool, the programs aim to teach students to regulate challenging emotions, communicate with compassion, and transform failure into opportunities to learn and grow. This approach effectively introduces mindfulness to children in a manner that replaces traditional, often less engaging methods like breathing exercises, with interactive play.
Since its inception, the Sweets Kendama Foundation has made significant strides in reaching a wide audience. Since 2018, the Foundation has reached around 20,000 youth in over 50 schools and 8 YMCA branches across the United States.
The work done by the Sweets Kendama Foundation exemplifies the transformative power of integrating traditional skill toys like kendama with modern educational methods, promoting essential life skills in a unique and engaging way.
tl;dr on the Sweets Kendamas Foundation
Kendama embodies the nounish ethos through its unique blend of community, creativity, and educational impact. This playful art form fosters a strong sense of community and collaboration, where players often meet up to play games and help each other improve. The innovative use of kendama for teaching mindfulness and social-emotional skills mirrors Nouns DAO's commitment to education and positive impact, wrapped in an aura of fun and absurdity. In essence, kendama's blend of traditional skill, community spirit, and creative education aligns seamlessly with the innovative and inclusive nature of the Nouniverse.
Kendama captures the nounish spirit through its fusion of creative expression and positive-sum community, mirroring the ethos of Nouns. Its role in teaching valuable life skills through an engaging medium reflects the DAO's focus on positive, transformative experiences, blending playfulness with purpose.
Not only is the kendama community as a whole extremely nounish, but Sweets Kendamas has partnered with Greenspark to plant a tree for every kendama sold. Passing this proposal would result in the planting of at least 500 trees.
A majority of the funding request is to be allocated directly to the Sweets Kendamas Foundation. The Foundation will receive a donation of 25 ETH to continue its operations and support the administration of mindfulness programs for kids, as well as the production of Nouns branded starter kendamas to be used and distributed in these programs. This support will enable the Foundation to reach over 8,000 kids and put noggles in their hands while they learn life-altering skills, giving them a long-lasting positive association with Nouns.
Sweets Kendamas will market the Prop House rounds and sale of Nouns kendamas through their established communications channels with their community throughout the entirety of the project. This will include the following:
A Prop House round will be facilitated which will seek 3 nounish designs to be printed on custom Nouns kendamas as well as the associated box. Marketing for this round will begin at least 2 weeks before the round opens and will leverage the existing communications channels established by Sweets Kendamas mentioned above. Submissions will be open for 1 month, followed by a 1 week voting period. The top 3 designs will be selected with prizes allocated as follows:
The 3 winning designs selected in the Prop House round will be produced by Sweets Kendamas. Slight modifications to the design may be made as determined by the Sweets Kendamas team to ensure high-quality production. Every kendama will come in a Nouns-themed box with a QR code that directs them to be able to claim a free NFT. The kendamas will have the following specs:
Initial production will include 112 of each design, for a total of 336 kendamas, to be allocated as follows:
Upon completion of the Prop House design round, marketing of the winning designs will begin and Sweets Kendamas will list the Nouns kendamas as a pre-order on their website. Selling via pre-order enables us to more accurately control production without additional costs to the DAO.
A Prop House round will be facilitated which will seek video entries of people playing their Nouns-themed kendamas. Entries must include the player playing with a Nouns kendama to qualify. The top 3 entries will be selected with prizes allocated as follows:
Sweets Kendama's history of successful collaborations with artists and athletes for custom kendama designs showcases its ability to create meaningful and impactful partnerships. If this proposal passes, we will also explore potential collaborations with Sweets Kendama's existing relationships to try and get Nouns-themed kendamas and noggles to these creators with large audiences. Some examples of notable people they have worked with include:
Sweets Kendamas also hosts the largest kendama competition in North America every year, the North American Kendama Open. By establishing a relationship with Sweets, we open the doors for potential future sponsorships of events such as this one.
Not only do they regularly host the largest kendama competition in North America, they are the only kendama company to have their product sold in a major retailer such as Target in the USA. By establishing rapport with Sweets Kendamas, we may be able to get Nouns-themed kendamas in Targets across the US.
This collaboration presents a unique opportunity to blend the playful, educational, and community-building aspects of kendama with the innovative and positive-sum values of Nouns. It's a partnership that promises to bring about positive change, education, and enjoyment in a novel and engaging way.
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to reach out. You can find me @0xSatori on X, FC, and Discord. Thanks for your consideration!
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