Kendama is Nounish
tl;dr - By uniting the innovative spirit of Nouns with the magic of kendama, we aim to positively influence the lives of thousands of students through the Mindfulness Through Play programs and introduce a broad audience of crypto-natives to Nouns at ETH Toronto/Blockchain Futurist Conference. This project is a culmination of passions coming together to create long-lasting positive impact. We are grateful for the opportunity and thank you for your consideration.
After reflecting on our last proposal’s feedback and the understanding that Kendama’s magic is best felt firsthand, we embarked on a spontaneous journey to ETH Denver, eager to spread the Kendama spirit among Nouners and other conference attendees!
Please watch this short video which includes highlights from ETH Denver before reading the rest of the proposal
What is Kendama?
Kendama is a traditional Japanese skill toy which features a handle, cups, and a ball linked by a string. Over time, kendama has evolved from a simple children’s toy into a tool that teaches mindfulness, growth mindset, and emotional regulation. Now, it’s used for education and community building too.
- Learn more about the history of kendama
- Learn the basics of how to play kendama
What can Kendama do for Nouns?
Whether it’s in a school gymnasium or at a crypto conference, we aim to use kendama as a vehicle for engagement to create memorable, positive interactions that entertain and educate a diverse audience. Kendama is the analog game for the digital era - it is perfectly poised to help us demonstrate how our onchain collective can influence people, places, and things.
- A tool that helps us tell the story of Nouns
- Creates lasting impact outside of the digital realm
- Approachable for those with no web3 knowledge
If you didn’t watch the video linked at the beginning of this proposal, please go check it out!
Since its inception in 2010 as a simple garage operation, Sweets Kendamas has evolved into the industry leader and has been instrumental in popularizing this game globally, featured in major retailers like Target and as a top seller on Amazon.
- Read more about the history of Sweets Kendamas on their ‘About’ page
- Check out Sweets Kendamas YouTube for full pro edits, competition recaps, and video tutorials
Founded in 2018 by Joshua Grove, who blended his passion for transformative education with his kendama expertise, the Sweets Kendama Foundation is an educational non-profit that leverages kendama to teach mindfulness and support students in their mental health.
- Mission: To teach growth mindset, social-emotional learning, and mindfulness through play using kendama
- Replaces traditional methods like breathing exercises and meditation with fun physical activities
- Impacted >20,000 youth in over 50 schools and 8 YMCA branches across the US since its inception
- See what these programs look like on Sweets Kendamas Foundation YouTube
- Please note that the foundation is currently undergoing a legal name change to “Mindfulness through Play”
Kendama is Nounish
Hey, Satori here - just want to share why I think kendama and Nouns are such a great fit. Kendama is more than a game for many people; it’s a way of life. A stranger gave me my first kendama and taught me the basics, which sparked a daily practice and a habit of sharing it with others. Kendama has become a way to maintain presence, as well as make it easy to connect with strangers through a shared curiosity.
Kendama transcends language and cultural barriers, embodying community, creativity, fun, and educational value. Whether playing with strangers or friends, it creates moments of shared joy and learning. It’s a game that requires no translation, screens, or chargers – just focus and creativity.
The kendama community’s supportive ethos mirrors Nouns’ positive-sum philosophy. Together, kendama and Nouns can create life-changing, positive interactions worldwide, just as it did for me.
Scope
Nouns Branded Starter Kendamas
The Sweets Kendama team will come up with a fresh take on their starter kendamas which will incorporate noggles on the tama and the handle of the ken. A total of 500 of these Nouns-themed starter kendamas will be produced and distributed as follows for a cost of 3.5 ETH:
- Nounish communities: 100
- To be distributed among existing nounish communities such as Nouns, Lil Nouns, Gnars, Builder DAO, Collective Nouns, NounsBR, The Noun Square, etc
- Blockchain Futurist Conference Activation: 360
- These will be reserved for individuals at the conference who land their first spike
- Sweets Giveaways: 40
- To be used as giveaway prizes during Sweets Kendamas livestreams
Blockchain Futurist Conference Activation
Building on the momentum of our vibrant ETH Denver activation, we’re eager to bring the kendama experience to even more crypto-folk face-to-face. If our highlight reel is anything to go by, the sheer joy and enthusiasm etched on people’s faces as they land their first spike says it all - and we want to bring this same energy to Toronto.
- Who? Satori, Joshua Grove, Gabe Klemm, and Matt Muraoka
- What? An interactive activation where we teach people about all the good things Nouns is doing in the world while playing and giving out kendamas.
- When? August 13 & 14, 2024
- Where? Toronto, Canada
- Why? At ETH Denver kendama proved itself as a perfect icebreaker for people to connect over before diving into deeper conversations about Nouns and crypto. It is an approachable subject and gives people the opportunity to experience the lessons taught in the Mindfulness Through Play programs firsthand.
- How? Every person we interact with who lands their first spike will receive a ‘First Spike’ POAP and take home a free Nouns kendama. We’ll also purchase merch including stickers, pins, noggles, shirts, etc to hand out throughout the conference.
Support SKF Initiatives to Improve Student’s Mental Health
The Foundation will receive a donation of 5 ETH to bolster its operations and support the “Mindfulness Through Play” programs for K-12 students. This contribution will fund the many hours that go into organizing and teaching the programs, as well as the purchase of Nouns-themed starter kendamas to be used and distributed during these programs.
- 1 in 3 students experience anxiety or depression
- Long-term mental health problems are on the rise
- The percentage of students feeling valued and appreciated is decreasing
Through this initiative, we aim to reach over 3,000 children, providing them with Nouns branded kendamas as they learn valuable life skills. This effort is expected to create a lasting, positive association with Nouns among the young participants.
Notes
- The kendamas used in these programs will be purchased and distributed separately from the allocation outlined in the section above
- *The Foundation’s EIN is 82-4211804, more details can be found on their *Endaoment page
Summary
Team
- Satori
- Joshua Grove - President and Director, Founder of the Sweets Kendamas Foundation
- Gabe Klemm - CEO of Sweets Kendamas, Strategic Advisor for the Sweets Kendamas Foundation
- Matt Muraoka - Designer at Sweet Kendamas
Event Dates
- Blockchain Futurist Conference - August 13 & 14
Budget
- Production and Distribution of Kendamas - 3.5 ETH
- Conference Activation (Travel, lodging, conference passes, etc) - 3.25 ETH
- Purchase of Merch (Moti’s noggles, stickers, shirts, etc) - 0.75 ETH
- Team Compensation - 1.5 ETH
- Mindfulness Through Play Program Support - 5 ETH
- Total: 14.0 ETH
Summary of Transactions
- 5 ETH to the Sweets Kendamas Foundation Endaoment fund (EIN 82-4211804) - 0xE72f2425e0cafe1073C2842a3697834f7B451feD
- 9 ETH to a 2/3 multisig at 0x2508e0cD16A6F44FAE56970C2b0812DD0f1E7FAf
Links
- Sweets Kendamas
- Sweets Kendamas Foundation
- Blockchain Futurist Conference
⌐◧-◧
| Voter | Cast Power | Vote & Rationale |
|---|---|---|
 0xcC26...0f6Ed5 | 32 | FOR |
 0xA868...079E63 | 3 | FOR |
 0x8bF1...de3d74 | 3 | FOR |
 0x7f64...a4d6d2 | 3 | FOR |
 0x0a04...0Ce79B | 3 | FOR |
VOTE POWER
Proposal Status
- Thu May 23 2024, 08:33 pmVoting Period Starts
- Mon May 27 2024, 09:08 pmEnd Voting Period
- Mon May 27 2024, 10:27 pmQueue Proposal
- Wed May 29 2024, 10:30 pmExecute Proposal
Current Results
1-FOR
80
2-AGAINST
N/A Tokens
3-ABSTAIN
N/A Tokens