There are a few better thinkers and entrepreneurs around middle school and early childhood education than Chris Balme. I thought you would enjoy hearing about his latest entrepreneurial Venture to benefit middle school, children, educators, and their families below.
AR: What inspired you to write a second book addressing the transformational experiences of middle school for middle schoolers?
CB: My first book, Finding the Magic in Middle School, was all about giving parents and teachers tools to understand middle schoolers better. But in my heart, I had always wanted to write for middle schoolers themselves. Something that would put them in the driver’s seat, with challenges they could choose and make happen on their own. That’s what Challenge Accepted is all about. Challenges like how to start a microbusiness, repair a friendship conflict, sleep under the stars, and many more.
AR: How do you hope parents engage with the content?
CB: My hope is that parents treat this playfully, never demanding that kids do the challenges, but just leaving the book somewhere for your child to find it and wonder what it’s all about. The more the motivation comes from them, the better!
AR: How do you hope middle schoolers engage with the content?
CB: When middle schoolers have choice, they thrive. Then they aren’t the eye-rolling resentful tweens from movies. They’re almost the opposite of that — motivated, funny, surprisingly wise. So I hope they flip through the book, cross out some challenges they don’t care about, and then get hooked on one of them. Something that makes them a tiny bit nervous, in a good way. Maybe it’s the challenge to forgive someone, or to cook their family a meal, or to become a stealth artist.
Get access to kickstarter /find it here: You can find it here!
