LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--LA Makerspace and Imagination.org today announced that they have merged with Two Bit Circus Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational organization, unifying their efforts to provide students of all means with access to STEAM education. The three nonprofits will come together under the umbrella of Two Bit Circus Foundation in order to enhance and sustain their individual impact on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) education. By working together, the organizations will be able to increase efficiency and greatly broaden their program offerings, allowing them to deliver more to an expanded range of the communities they serve.
This merger represents a significant boost for the Los Angeles community. Two Bit Circus Foundation, which is currently operating in nearly half the schools of LAUSD and has trained over 5,000 teachers and over 300,000 students, is now able to expand that reach even further. With LA Makerspace, the Foundation is able to offer their Makerspace STEAM Lab builds to 167 partner library branches throughout LA County, helping to also complement their work in other areas of the community.
Through this merger, LA Makerspace is able to offer more to local libraries, like tailored Imagination Chapters, and expand their program reach into schools as well as internationally -- all while having access to affordable, repurposed materials through Two Bit Circus Foundation.
With 150+ Imagination Chapters worldwide, Imagination.org (formerly known as Imagination Foundation) is able to scale its impact into local L.A. schools and libraries. Together, these 3 entities will continue to expand Imagination.org's global network of Imagination Chapters and fuel their creativity challenges, like The Global Cardboard Challenge, which has already engaged over 877,000 participants in 80 countries since its launch.
A result of the Nonprofit Sustainability Initiative of the California Community Foundation, this merger sets the precedent on combining efforts to reduce overhead and increase impact -- some of which is already evident. With the worldwide reach of Imagination.org, Two Bit Circus Foundation was able to hold their first international STEAM Carnival in Perth, Australia earlier this month. And one public, free-to-all Family Makerspace is already being built in the Pio Pico (Koreatown) branch of the Los Angeles Public Library as a result of the organizations’ coalition. Caine from “Caine’s Arcade” will also be joining the Big Top culture of Two Bit Circus as he plans to begin studies at USC to become a game designer. They’re hopeful he’ll act as the President of their first Junior Board.
With their forces combined, the three organizations aim to streamline efficiency and provide more to the schools, libraries, Makers, parents and, most importantly, the kids whom they serve.
About Two Bit Circus Foundation:
The Two Bit Circus Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational organization, cultivates the next generation of inventors, advances environmental stewardship, and spurs community engagement by providing students of all means with access to STEAM education. Currently operating in nearly half the schools of LAUSD, the foundation has trained 5,000 teachers and over 300,000 students. The program focuses on at-risk communities and is in the process of scaling around the world. For more information, visit www.twobitcircus.org or follow them at @TwoBitCircusOrg.
About LA Makerspace:
LA Makerspace, a parent-founded nonprofit, ensures equitable access to the technical knowledge, digital literacy, and problem-solving skills required to equip youth for tomorrow's job market. As the primary STEAM education partner for Los Angeles County’s major library systems, LAM has trained librarians from 134 branches and led coding, robotics, wearable electronics, and animation workshops for over 16,500 youth so far. With its recent expansion into churches, LAM continues to find innovative ways to leverage existing infrastructure serving high-need communities. For more information, visit LAMakerspace.org or follow them at @LAMakerspace.
About Imagination.org:
Imagination.org is growing a worldwide movement to promote creativity as a core social value and foster critical skills for the twenty-first century. Their mission is to find, foster and fund creativity and entrepreneurship in children around the world while equipping them with the tools they need to build the world they imagine. Inspired by 'Caine's Arcade' and the success of the Global Cardboard Challenge, Imagination.org now has 150+ worldwide chapters that use Creative Play to develop the natural powers of creativity, entrepreneurship and innovation that all children possess, while aligning them with powerful educational concepts and tools. For more information about Caine's Arcade and Imagination, visit www.imagination.org or follow them at @Imagination.
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