When Jack Casdorph was in third grade, he watched his love for science vanish in less than an hour.

"We did a simple experiment where we magnetized a needle and put it on a foam packing peanut in a bowl of water to make a homemade compass," Jack recalls. "The experiment itself took maybe 25 seconds. Then we spent half an hour doing a writeup where the teacher dictated, verbatim, what we were supposed to write."

As his teacher droned on about matter and energy not being created or destroyed, young Jack thought, "Of course they weren't - we just put a piece of foam and a little metal stick in water. What did you think was going to happen?"

"Even though matter and energy were not created or destroyed," Jack says, "my interest in science at that time was totally destroyed."

It's a story that resonates with too many of us. The moment when education turned something fascinating into something tedious. The point where curiosity died under the weight of worksheets and memorization.

Today, Jack is on a mission to fix this broken approach. As a mechanical engineer developing hands-on physics kits through his company Clean Your Craft, he's reimagining how children engage with STEM subjects.

Build a Bridge, Transform Learning: The Gingerbread Challenge

Enter the Gingerbread Bridge Challenge by May 18, 2025!

Jack's hosting an ingenious competition that perfectly demonstrates his philosophy - building bridges out of food. It's an accessible challenge for makers of all ages and experience levels.

Here's how it works:

• Build a bridge entirely from food items (crackers, pasta, candy - get creative!)
• Design it to span a 24-inch gap and support a die-cast car like a Hot Wheels
• Test its strength by adding water bottles until it breaks
• Film your creation and the testing process
• Submit your video using hashtags #CreatorsCraftChallenge1 and #GingerbreadBridge

"I wanted to create something that anyone could do, regardless of age or access to tools," Jack explains. "Through this simple challenge, kids learn structural engineering principles through hands-on experimentation without a textbook in sight."

The best submissions will be featured in Jack's highlight video on the Clean Your Craft YouTube channel, giving young builders recognition for their creativity.

Get the full competition details and enter by May 18, 2025.

The Missing Half of Education: The STEM Spectrum

What makes Jack's perspective so compelling is his framework for understanding what's wrong with traditional education. He sees STEM subjects as existing on a spectrum:

"On one end, you have the completely theoretical or abstract - just math. It talks about numbers and shapes and how they relate," Jack explains. "Next you have science, which describes how the world works. Then engineering, which is the 'so what' side of science - how can we manipulate the world to make it what we want? Finally, we have technology and making/building, which is the application of engineering and science."

The problem? "Traditional education spends too much time on the left end of this spectrum. Kids learn theory first, with little time for practical application. The stuff on the right isn't even touched in most education."

The consequences are predictable. Students who can solve textbook problems but freeze when faced with real-world challenges. Children constantly asking, "When will we ever use this?" And perhaps most tragic of all - kids who decide they "hate" subjects they might have loved if presented differently.

"I Wonder, What If, Let's Try"

Jack's solution turns traditional education upside down. Start with exciting projects that capture imagination, then introduce theory as needed when solving real problems.

"My favorite version of the scientific method actually comes from watching Sesame Street with my kids," Jack shares. "Their version is: 'I wonder, what if, let's try.' I think that's brilliant in its simplicity."

This approach mirrors how humans naturally learn - we encounter problems while doing something we care about, then seek knowledge to overcome those obstacles. Traditional education does the opposite, frontloading information without context and hoping students remember it whenever they eventually need it.

Jack's physics kits embody this philosophy, avoiding what he calls the "IKEA furniture problem" of most STEM products - where children simply follow step-by-step instructions with no room for creativity. Instead, he advocates for a hybrid approach that provides enough structure to cover important concepts while giving children freedom to create and problem-solve.

Ready to experience this approach firsthand? Join the Gingerbread Bridge Challenge today! Build your food bridge, test its strength, and submit your video by May 18, 2025.

Let's rebuild science education - one curious experiment at a time.

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