MISSION:
Mat Bevel Company is an arts and science nonprofit that builds creative and mechanical capacity through science theater, kinetic art and intuitive discovery learning using hands-on construction.
We know creative genius isn’t rare — Dr. George Land’s landmark creativity research proves that 98% of children test as creative geniuses, a capacity rooted in divergent thinking that fades by early adulthood without practice. Through World of Beveldom and The Universe Within STEAM curriculum, people exercise that divergent thinking over and over. They use imagination to build their own worlds according to the laws of physics, reconnecting with how systems move and respond and turning ideas into functional reality.
This Innovation Literacy + Physical Engineering through world-building equips people to be active participants in shaping their own worlds and lives, not passive consumers, while building the creative confidence, technical skill and inventive capacity our communities and economy need.
Producing and presenting original fine art.
Bevel Butterfly
Sharka
Thought Launcher
Americana Duck
Coffee Guru
Hemo the 7 Foot Mosquito
Poetic Fool
Admirable Bevel
Teaching the next generation of youth how to invent and create.
The Universe Within is an introduction to world-building that sparks the inherent genius in kids (and adults!). Students create positive superhero characters who tackle major environmental or social issues in their imagined worlds. Throughout the course, they learn how to engineer strong structures using cardboard and attachment mechanisms as they construct functional tools and headdresses for their characters.
We currently have three units available to schools, camps, museums, libraries and families: Headgear of Heroes (geometry), The Art of Kinetics (Physics) and The Power of Electricity (electricity). A fourth unit called Making Music is underway.
There are four essential components to The Universe Within multimedia curriculum:
- Opening 3-minute videos with inspiration from Beveldom, instructions by Math Professor Dr. Bayly and demonstrations by peer mentors
- The User Guidebook with all learning objectives, success criteria, assignments, standard alignment and resources
- The Daily Doodle student notebook with all sequential worksheets
- STEAM kits
Watch One Of The Opening Videos!
Lessons open with a 3-minute video filled with inspiration and instructions by an animated character of math Professor Dr. Bayly and peer demonstrations! For more information, contact Paula Schaper: 520-604-6273 or pschaper@matbevelcompany.org.
Watch Our Progress!
Mat Bevel Company is using the museum as the set for filming a virtual tour, TV shows and blended and e-learning editions The Universe Within curriculum. To watch our progress and get videos of the museum delivered to your inbox, sign up for our monthly newsletter, The Junk Evangelist.
Mat Bevel Company Updates
Addressing A National Creative Deficit At A Grassroots Level
A Nation-wide Creativity Crisis In Dr. KH Kim’s “The Creativity Crisis (2011)”, she reported that American creativity declined from the 1990s to 2008. Kim’s 2017 Creativity Crisis Update: How High-Stakes Testing Stifles Innovation reveals that “The Creativity Crisis”...
Mat Bevel Company Takes Students into The Universe Within
In early April, Mat Bevel Company’s Paula Schaper and Lars Marshall met with Patagonia Public Schools art teacher Elizabeth McCowin and School Superintendent Rachell Hochheim to plan the new world-building educational pilot called The Universe Within....
Students at Patagonia Public Schools Step into Beveldom during 2018 Career Fair
Mat Bevel Company brought the world of Beveldom to high school and middle school students during the 2018 Rotary Career Fair at Patagonia Public Schools on Friday, May 9. Video excerpts from Kinetic Saturdays and the new TV show Bevel Café amused and fascinated...
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The Universe Within
Get The Universe Within STEAM world-building curriculum.
Thanks to our major supporters!
