Category: Kickstarter

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Entrepreneur Lessons Kickstarter Rewards

Fun With Math Combinations – an Unexpected Kickstarter Perk

I’ve always prided myself on my crack basic math skills. You’ll never see me whipping out the calculator to figure out how to tip. Or to see how much I’m saving at my favorite discount clothing store.

When it came time to add postage to all the packages I’m shipping out to Kickstarter contributors, out came a huge pile of stamps my mom had bought years ago when the post office was pushing “collections.”

Yes, having the post office meter the packages would have been MUCH more efficient. But there’s no way I’d use all of this postage in “real life.” So I set out to make consuming the stamps a fun project — which would have been even more fun for kids to tackle.

So here I present an epic math problem and call upon elementary schoolers to school me!

ASSIGNMENT: What stamp combinations minimize the number of stamps on a package? How many combinations can you make?IMG_7581

Postage required: $2.32

Note to Kickstarters: The packages cost so much even though they were lightweight, as adding a bulky item re-classifies a package as a “parcel” instead of a “letter.” That can really take a bite out of your Kickstarter total!

Available stamp amounts (often called denominations): .44, .39, .37, .32, 22, 20, 2, 1
(Here’s a Google Spreadsheet you can copy to calculate all your different combinations! Different combinations are important in case I run out of some stamp denominations.)

Assumptions:

  • You have an unlimited number of the above denominations.
  • You want to avoid giving the USPS extra money. Try to hit those exact amounts.

Please post your answers in the comments or on Facebook or Twitter!

Lafava Vanilla founder
KICKSTARTER LESSON LEARNED: When you put lots of odd sized goodies in a package (like these Lafaza Vanilla Beans), it can become a “parcel” which is why even though the packages weigh just a couple of ounces, they cost $2.32 to ship.
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Kickstarter

Kickstarter campaign is funded — exciting stretch goals & 3.5 hours

Visit the campaign page to see how many more smart cookies we can create with just a little more dough.

Kickstarter chocolate chip cookie school stretch goals

So far we’ve raised about $9,800.

Posted with 3 hours and 20 minutes to go…hence the modest goals — let’s do it!

  • $10,000 – a Bay Area campaign backer party!
  • $12,000 – donation of 100 books to children’s hospitals, libraries or schools AND the backer party. Contributors >$100 can choose a donation location; >$500 can choose 5 locations.
  • $15,000 – a sophisticated “early critical thinkers” picture book filled with quirky and humorous illustrations and “reluctant truffle pig” character you see hunting down cookies. This level will *not* pay for book printing but will fund illustrations, book design, editing. The book will not be cookie-sweet but will educate kids on *really* how the cookie came to be. Think “Eloise” for chocolate chip cookies.

Before the campaign…

My original stretch goals seem partly delusional, partly audacious. Partly charming, that I had such faith. Still, what a great way to be forced to create a company or project roadmap!

If we raise >$25,000: We’ll do a much bigger print run and create printables for the start to a lesson plan.

If we raise >$50,000: We’ll be able to do an efficient book print run, and create downloadable lesson plans and an after-school (or home school) cookie school curriculum developed by awesome U.S.-based educators.

If we raise >$100,000: We’ll create interactive iPad exercises and experiences incorporating video.

If we raise >$150,000: Create and produce the 2nd and 3rd books in the series (for 8-10 year olds) PLUS a multi-week after school program that can also work for home schooling.

If we raise >$250,000: as well as “Cookie Business Kits” for 100 schools, for kids to break into teams and involve local bakers for a truly empowering and community-oriented experience.

If we raise >$500,000: Can you say COOKIE CAMPS!? We’ll have a solid team of educators and experts, along with YOU, a community of awesome Kickstarter contributors, to pull a program together. Our community of supporters will have a big say in what happens at this point. Board games? Cookie business contests? An online show?

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About the Project Getting the Word Out Kickstarter

Cookie School Report from the Front Lines

Testing out the material in school.

A delightful surprise appeared in my inbox: One of the teachers whose classes I popped into last week wrote all about the Chocolate Chip Cookie School experience. If you’re wondering how the Kickstarter campaign can translate into school, take a look!

3 Most Memorable Cookie School Debates

When you’re first learning, what you hear tends to stick.

  • Evolution sequence: The chicken or egg debate continues to be my favorite part of the lessons. You really see kids’ different worldviews (e.g., evolution vs. creationism) through this topic.
  • Cookie invention: The majority (I mean like 80%) of kids thought it more likely the chocolate chip cookie came to be after chocolate jiggled into the bowl of dough and broke into “chips” rather than that Ruth Graves Wakefield chopped up a chocolate bar. Yet as the kids spoke, a vision of a “myth busters” swam in my head.
  • How do you choose which cookie to buy? This real world question of quantity versus size / quality versus price translates soooo well to every day consumer decisions. From my own experience, I just know kids will translate this life long. Or I hope so anyway!

Got a school, community center or home school group who wants to get cookie schooled? Please get in touch!

 

This image will be a new Kickstarter reward, in homage to the great discussion these book illustrations provoke.
This image will be a new Kickstarter reward, in homage to the great discussion these book illustrations provoke.
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Kickstarter Rewards

Cookie Countdown

Aren’t you glad we have Vine for perpetually looping cookie eating movies? This short film chronicles my detective work at Pacific Cookie Company, one of the bakeries in our Kickstarter $25 reward level…and in the 3-Month, 3 Cookie Maker level. They’re classic amazing chocolate chip cookies.

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Kickstarter

We’re making smart cookies on Kickstarter

chocolate chip cookie school kickstarter campaign

YOU are the ingredients in our recipe for smart cookies. We need you to make this happen.

Please visit our Kickstarter campaign! Your support will be amply rewarded with some awesome cookie adventures and other rewards. Please help spread the word to parents, educators, cookie lovers…anyone who wants to help our next generation thrive.

The smart cookies recipe:

  • Let kids deconstruct something they love — the Chocolate Chip Cookie.
  • Then re-construct it into project-based learning that integrates academic subjects from math to literacy to science and social science.
  • Mix in 21st Century Skills.
  • Bake until Critical thinking, Character and Curiosity develop.

Voila — smart cookies who love learning and thrive in life whatever they choose to do.

http://bit.ly.com/smartcookiesbookchocolate chip cookie school kickstarter campaign

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Kickstarter Rewards

Kickstarter Rewards Details

Chocolate Chip Cookie School Kickstarter campaign rewards

Visit our Kickstarter campaign page until 11am June 5, 2014 to see how you can get involved in the quest for “critical thinking through cookies.” Here’s why we’re so excited about this.

rewards graphic june

 

 

Details on some of the most unusual rewards…cookie_school_lip_balm

Cookie Detectives reward –  How it works and participating bakeries

Chocolate Chip Cookie Lip Balm reward – We’ve partnered with Eco Lips to develop and bring you this exclusive natural lip balm, which is super yummy and rich with all natural ingredients. If you’d like to get a bunch of these for gifts instead of pledging to the campaign, please get in touch.

Costa Rica Origins trip details (to come!)

“Rube Goldberg” How to Make Smart Cookies print on metal

Accident Vs. Invention illustration: I conceived of the Chocolate Chip Cookie “Accident or Invention” illustration while sketching out ideas to get kids thinking critically about urban legends, stories, and probability. Did chocolate fall into the mixer? Or did Ruth Graves Wakefield plot out the recipe? Kids love debating the answers to: Which is more likely to be true? What had to happen for either scenario to have happened? Does the truth matter? All fun queries for growing cookie detectives.

chocolate-chip-cookie-invention-cccookieschool

 

 

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Kickstarter Rewards

Rube Goldberg – inspired How to Make Smart Cookies Illustration

Ready to hang on the wall, this is a fun way to commemorate your eternal impact on kids’ education! Printed permanently on brushed metal, made in the Bay Area, this is a nice piece of artwork to hang in a kid’s room to remind him or her that small actions can translate to big results.

If you want to order these with slightly different wording or as some other type of print, please let us know.

Chocolate Chip Cookie School metal plaque

Rube Goldberg pioneered the parody of systems and processes. As a huge fan, the explanation of where your Kickstarter contributors will go echoes a flow we imagine he might have designed:

(1) Insert donation to kick off the Cookie School Confabulator cacao pod (2) which shoots cocoa beans into happy organ grinder monkey’s mouth  (3) sending organ grinder flying (4) and cocoa beans into chocolate chip-making dohicky (5) which inserts said chips into cookie dough (6) while screeching organ grinder spooks a nearby horse (7) which upsets a full cookie tray (8) sending chocolate chip cookies into the mouths of your fair writer and illustrator (9) whose satisfaction drives a flurry of productivity (10) resulting in a world of Smart Cookies.

🙂

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Kickstarter Rewards

Cookie Detective Reward – Participating Bakeries

kickstarter cookie detectiveGet this reward on Kickstarter

How this will work:
1. When the campaign ends in success 🙂 we send an email asking which bakery you want.
2. We mail you your Cookie Detective card to take in and redeem. (Depending on the bakery’s cookie price you’ll get 2-6 cookies, which the card will say.)
3. You analyze and munch…and if you Instagram with our hashtag will be featured right here on our website’s  “Cookie Detective Hall of Fame.”

CREAM ice cream sandwichParticipating Bakeries

California

Colorado (Denver): Victory Love Cookies
Georgia (Decatur): The Cookie Studio
Massachusetts (Boston): Have a Sweet Idea – bike delivered! Sweet 🙂
Michigan (Ann Arbor): Zingerman’s Bakehouse (bakery location)
Michigan (Ann Arbor): Tasty Bakery Gluten Free (farmers market)
New York: Levain Bakery
North Carolina (Ashville): French Broad Chocolates (w/ house-made  chocolate chips!)
Ohio (Lakewood): Blackbird Baking
Oregon (Portland): Pearl Bakery
Pennsylvania (Philadelphia): Famous 4th St Bakery
South Carolina (Charleston): WildFlour Pastry
Texas (Austin): Sugar Mama’s Bakeshop
Washington (Seattle): Macrina Bakery
Wyoming (Jackson): Persephone Bakery

Want to Tweet your drooling excitement to one of these bakeries?

Here’s a starter blurb:

Excited to get your cookies via @cccookieschool #cookiedetective $25 reward @Kickstarter! http://kck.st/1itjFnm

The backstory

Was this a waste of time? Heck no!! I used to be a food scout at an online artisan food website, Foodzie, so I loved tapping back into this as a bakery detective to line up this reward!

A bunch of websites and people have picked their favorite chocolate chip cookies, so we combed through those lists. Honestly, we didn’t have time to reach out to everyone. We’re happy to add more bakeries with huge chocolate chip cookie followings!

Know of other bakeries famous for their chocolate chip cookies who should join in?

Until June 3rd new bakeries can join in. Here’s more about that.

santa monica cookie bakery

 

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Kickstarter Rewards

How Bakeries Can Join the Cookie Campaign

santa monica cookie bakery

This campaign is over. This page is archived for posterity!

We invite bakeries who want to join the Cookie Detective reward for the Chocolate Chip Cookie School Kickstarter campaign for a kids’ education project called the Chocolate Chip Cookie School. (Here’s who’s in so far.) It’s not a donation! It’s a great way to get visibility and for Kickstarter contributors to connect with local bakeries and experience “critical thinking through cookies” for themselves.

When the campaign ends in early June:

  • The contributor picks a participating bakery where they want to go get a few cookies, analyze them, and if they desire, shoot a photo to post on Instagram to be in the Cookie Detective Hall of Fame on this here site.
  • The bakery gets the RETAIL VALUE of the cookies in a lump sum, in advance. The card says how many the person coming in with he card should get.
  • The staffer marks off it as used, and the Kickstarter benefactor gets to keep the card as a souvenir.

Voila!

Please tell your fave bakeries to join the campaign:

SOCIAL BLURB TO REQUEST BAKERIES: Please be part of @cccookieschool #cookiedetective reward @Kickstarter! Join @ http://bit.ly/smartcookiesbook