24 min, HD Video, 2013
If we can help kids think of themselves as people that can make anything, we can help them think of themselves as people that can do anything.
SYNOPSIS
SparkTruck: A Maker Journey tells the story of SparkTruck’s inaugural road trip across the United States in the summer of 2012. SparkTruck is a big red truck filled with cutting-edge maker tools, and it goes from school to school teaching kids about design thinking and hands-on learning. As the co-founders of the project Jason Chua and Eugene Korsunskiy travel across the country making little vibrating robots, creature-launchers, and laser-cut stamps with the kids; they discover how the act of making and building can teach kids that they can make a real impact in the world.
DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT
You can only imagine how excited I was when Eugene and Jason told me they wanted to have someone on board at SparkTruck to film and photograph. From the first meeting on I was a member of the team, which is a little weird for a filmmaker because I am mostly accustomed to stand a step away, observe, and ask questions rather than become an active participant. During the four months we were on the road, I ended up striping a lot of wires, driving many many hours, and answering countless questions that I didn’t quite know the answers for. I learned to resist the temptation of helping a kid who’s struggling to tape a pompom on a popsicle stick. At the end my experience as a Sparkee is what makes this film unique. I really wanted to share my newly acquired perspective on creativity, problem solving, and hands-on learning to expand the discussion on these topics and make a small contribution to the efforts of those who are reimagining the education all around the country.
MORE ABOUT SPARKTRUCK
SparkTruck is a step-van full of 21st century maker tools that visits schools, museums, and community centers to run hands-on workshops with elementary and middle school students. SparkTruck promotes design thinking as a problem solving skill; and, encourages kids to find their inner maker. It all started as a thesis project in the Design Program at Stanford University. At the end of the school year, co-founders of the project Eugene Korsunskiy and Jason Chua, together with Rachel Star and documentary filmmaker Duygu Eruçman, embarked on a 15,000 mile journey across the US in order to spread the fun of hands-on learning. SparkTruck is featured in many articles including CNNMoney, Wired, and Fast Company. Eugene and Jason have been invited to talk in TEDYouth@NYC, TEDxYouth@San Diego, TEDx@Manhatten Beach, Autodesk University, and A Better World by Design Conference.
CREDITS
Produced by Eugene Korsunskiy, Jason Chua & Duygu Eruçman
Directed and Edited by Duygu Eruçman
Animation by Anthony Weeks
Music by Jeremy Castillo & Rich Michalowski
Sound Mix by Dan Olmsted
I would like to thank all of our Kickstarter backers for their support!