Help me give my students the ChompSaw so they will be able to create carnival games from cardboard and recycled materials to create their own Caine's Arcade.
$788 goal
This project expired on August 26, 2025.
This project expired on August 26, 2025.
My Project
As a STEM teacher, I like to try to think out of the box and create lessons that push students to be creative. I came across a story years ago about Caine Monroy, a 9-year-old boy from East Los Angeles who created an entire arcade out of cardboard and other recycled materials in his father's auto parts shop. I was amazed by his story and thought, why can't my students do something like that? We can create our own Caine's Arcade.
Creating a Caine's Arcade will highlight the importance of recycling, but also demonstrate how imagination and resourcefulness can lead to amazing creations.
Students will create their own arcade games using cardboard and recycled materials. Having 2 ChompSaws in the lab will allow students to be able to independently and safely cut the cardboard to the dimensions needed for their projects. This would free me from having to spend hours cutting pieces the students would need and allow the students to be more independent while working on their projects.
Once students have completed their projects, they will set up their carnival in the STEM lab and invite the younger students to come play their games and win prizes. Not only will this project teach the importance of recycling, but it will also show how it doesn't always take money to be able to do something nice and give back to the community.
More than half of students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
500 students impacted
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