Table of Contents To Publishers: This proposal tightly integrates a series of traditional printed booklets with a state-of-the-art Web site including collaboration with robotics specialists from the MIT / Harvard community and e-commerce. Rationale Subject Market Differentiation Schedule The Team The Book Reviewers Printed Booklet Web Site Parts, tools Supplies

Rationale – Publishing Proposal Technology, social sciences and the arts We must prepare the next generation to use complex technology to solve some very tough problems. Peace and stability are at stake in this mission! The Build-It-Yourself Creative Robotics Program challenges the next generation of builders to integrate technology, social sciences and the arts to solve or better understand a problem. Build-It-Yourself challenges are presented in the context of a series of playful storylines and games. This proposal draws on the business model for popular computer games.

Rationale – Publishing Proposal Beyond Black Boxes The Build-It-Yourself approach is based on the Beyond Black Box philosophy developed at the MIT Media Lab. Increasingly, children's lives are full of 'black boxes' -- toys and machines that are opaque to children's investigations and understanding. By building their own machines and contraptions, kids open up the black box of technology, gaining a deeper understanding of the structures, mechanisms, and behaviors that underlie the worlds of science and technology. At the Build-It-Yourself laboratory between Harvard and MIT, kids use a combination of everyday materials along with state-of-the-art technologies to invent whimsical machines, playful puppets, and kinetic sculptures.

Rationale – Publishing Proposal Everyone wins in the Build-It-Yourself eco-system. Publisher Kids Parents and Teachers Schools Kids like to use the latest technology and show off their technical wizardry. Parents and teachers are looking for project-based learning programs that engage kids in constructive activities and therefore position them to learn. Schools require that students are prepared to apply new, powerful technology tools. Publishers are exploring new ways of integrating print and web-based content including multiple, recurring revenue streams, e-commerce and customer loyalty programs.

Subject – Publishing Proposal Bring fantasies to life. Storyline #1: To be a proper Build-It-Yourself crew member, you'll need to have a state-of-the-art laboratory, a set of tools, parts, premium quality junk, and a proper shingle for your door. You should have an official brainstorm hat, a smart pencil and an assistant to greet visitors. And you should keep a lab book to document your inventions. Your mission is to make visitors to your lab say, "WOW, you’re a hot shot builder! I want to work with you on the Build-It- Yourself Crew." Build-It-Yourself proposes to publish a series of short, playful, tongue-in- cheek storylines that outline a social problem and then challenge kids to use technology, particularly robotics, to solve or better understand that problem. The storylines draw on ideas from 'kid culture.' The goal is to connect to children's fantasies and to help them bring those fantasies to life.

Subject – Publishing Proposal Apply technology to real world problems. Build-It-Yourself 'Projectware' blurs the boundaries between science and art, learning and playing, precision and imagination. Storyline #2 The world economy is in trouble. Many kids do not have enough money to buy the candy they need. Your mission is to dream up a machine that creates value, makes life even better, offers a service and puts people to work. Then you must build that machine, improve the world economy and put a ton of candy in your pocket!

Subject – Publishing Proposal Synergy 1.The printed booklet will start the brainstorming process, offer examples of solutions and pose several design exercises. 2.In-depth guidance for developing complex solutions will be offered on a Web site. 3.All projects incorporate 'Premium Quality Junk' collected from around the house. Many Build-It-Yourself projects incorporate the LEGO Mindstorms kit. Other projects recycle remote control toys. There is an e-commerce opportunity that will attract the distribution support of companies like Radio Shack, Home Depot and Wal-Mart. Printed Booklet Web Site Parts, tools Supplies

Market – Publishing Proposal More than 20 million boys and girls Build-It-Yourself 'Projectware' targets: 1.More than 20 million boys and girls between the ages of After-school programs such as Sylvan, Kaplan, Bright Horizons and Mad Science. 3.More than 4 million home-schoolers. The Build-It-Yourself program appeals to parents who want their kids to have the technical skills required to do well in school and ultimately in the work place.

Market – Publishing Proposal Marketing partnerships Build-It-Yourself seeks corporate partners to evolve an e-learning vision... high quality, accessible, low cost learning. The execution of this vision includes a series of short printed booklets. (<$10, 8 pages) The booklets will drive a web subscription community with in-depth content and access to Webcasts by Harvard and MIT students. The Web site will drive e-commerce. There is an attractive distribution opportunity when this program is promoted in POS displays at Radio Shack, Home Depot and Wal-Mart.

Market – Publishing Proposal Multiple, recurring revenue streams 1.$250,000 sales from one booklet. (50,000 units at $5 each) 2.$1,200,000 sales from Web subscriptions. (25%* of booklet buyers x $8/mo subscription) 3.$437,500 annual sales from parts, tools and supplies. (25%* of booklet buyers x $35/year average) The Build-It-Yourself business model is predicated on multiple, recurring revenue streams. Total Revenue from One Booklet * The Build-It-Yourself team has compensation incentives which become active when 40% of the kids who participate are engaged. (buy parts, do work at home, or enroll in follow-up programs.)

Market – Publishing Proposal Large potential market A long range goal is to capture the same number of buyers as a popular computer game. 675,000 Buyers $30 Million Revenue Build-It-Yourself seeks development partnerships with game publishers that have captured significant market shares such as Microsoft (Age of Empires), Maxis (the Sim series), and Sony (Everquest)

Competition / Differentiation – Publishing Proposal Integration of technology, social science and the arts Many of the robotics books on the market target those kids who are on an engineering track. There are not many options for kids who may not want to be engineers but who want to apply technology to further their own interests including games, music, socializing, and art. The Build-It-Yourself book series: 1.inspires kids with examples of whimsical robots 'who' have an attitude. 2.integrates technology and the arts. 3.focuses on the presentation of ideas as much as their execution. 4.is a lead-in to a subscription-based series of live, on-line Webcast workshops. 5.drives the sale of parts, tools, and supplies.

The Book – Publishing Proposal Booklet series Table of Contents: 1) The storyline and mission 2) Examples of solutions 3) How to draw graffiti 4) How to build a smart pencil An overview of 16 short stories and associated projects is posted at: Go to ‘Projects’ A prototype / manuscript of one in a series of short, point-of-sale booklets will be sent on request. (8 pages, 2-3 color images per page)

Schedule – Publishing Proposal Ready now Several manuscripts, an associated Web site, and a team of robotics specialists who are trained to Webcast live workshops that complement the book series are in place now. An investment is required to scale the infrastructure and brand the content. An investment is required to set up e-commerce and distribution partnerships.

The Team – Publishing Proposal From the Harvard / MIT community Build-It-Yourself 'Projectware' has been developed in collaboration with the MIT Media Lab. John Galinato, the project manager, has an MEE degree from Cornell. He has experience as an electronic design engineer for a missile system, a submarine detection system and an electronic drawing board. Backgrounds of the artists, educators and engineers who are contributing to Build-It- Yourself are posted at:

Suggested Reviewers – Publishing Proposal From the Harvard / MIT community The Build-It-Yourself program has been profiled on national television and reviewed by numerous parents, schools and educators. Please contact John Galinato for contact information. 1. Professor, Graduate School of Education at Harvard University 2. Professor, MIT Media Lab 3. Science Journalist for 'Clarin' the largest daily newspaper in Argentina 4. Art Director, formally of 'Inc.' Magazine and the 'MIT Review', now of 'CIO Decisions' Magazine

Seeks corporate partners who can help bring our popular, creative robotics program to a global market. John Galinato