Today we’d like to introduce you to Eric Canosa.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Eric. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I met Dan Peterson, Mind Bubble’s Cofounder and Executive Director, while I was coordinating the tutoring program at 826michigan, a wonderful Ann Arbor non-profit. We formed a fast friendship around our mutual interests in education, creative writing, and board games. Over the years, our personal and professional interests took us in different directions. I became a middle school science teacher in Texas and, after earning his PhD, Dan moved to Atlanta to begin work as a philosophy professor. Over the years we lived in different places but stayed in touch by playing pen-and-paper roleplaying games together online.
Eventually, and by coincidence, I ended up moving to Atlanta as well. In 2015, Dan and I found ourselves both living here and looking to volunteer for an education non-profit similar to 826michigan. We couldn’t find any organizations that fit our criteria. We wanted to volunteer for a lighthearted non-profit that provides free workshops and tutoring to any and all students from Atlanta. It wasn’t long before we decided, “Hey, if it’s not here yet, let’s create it!” Thus, Mind Bubble was born!
We’ve just finished our first year of operations and it has been a tremendous success. We’ve provided dozens of Atlanta families with free academic assistance from great volunteer tutors and, by incorporating board games, card games, and roleplaying games into our mission, we’ve introduced a lot of kids to their new favorite games while encouraging them to keep their minds active!
It’s been a lot of hard work getting to this point, Dan and I have really had to teach ourselves to be effective non-profit administrators, but the rewards have been so worthwhile. We’re looking forward to launching our first series of workshops this July! We’ll offer both tutoring and workshops side-by-side beginning in September.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road has been surprisingly smooth thus far. Dan and I are seeing our vision play out strongly in our programs and fundraising events. There are certain aspects of strategic planning that we do really well. Experience with a variety of strategic board games probably helps with that! Our mission and vision are very well-defined and they add a lot of value to our programs.
From a programs standpoint, things go really smoothly at Mind Bubble. We have a knack for the general administration and routines that are necessary to handle registration and assure consistently high quality for the tutoring Mind Bubble volunteers provide to students. Customer satisfaction is very high, word-of-mouth is strong, and the Mind Bubble experience is overwhelmingly positive for students.
Our struggles have been not with programming, but more with the natural growing pains that come along with doing something for the first time. We’ve had to learn for ourselves the steps to incorporate, to apply for 501(c) (3) status, to build a solid Board of Directors, and to manage non-profit finances. Because we don’t have lawyer or accountant friends we can rely on to provide specialized assistance, we’ve had to do a whole lot of asking around, research, and personal development to make sure that Mind Bubble not only provides great programming but also is driven by a sustainable business model and stays compliant with non-profit regulations.
Please tell us about Mind Bubble.
Mind Bubble strives to redefine young people’s learning mindsets by engaging them in individualized learning experiences and providing them with an array of intellectual challenges related to their interests. To that end, we offer educational workshops and 1-on-1 tutoring in every subject area. Our programs are intended for students at the secondary level and are always 100% free.
We handle registration for both tutoring and workshops online with a first-come, first-served policy to ensure that all students in the community have an opportunity to take advantage of the learning experiences we have to offer!
Our focus on using board games, card games, and roleplaying games to encourage students to develop their academic and interpersonal skills is what distinguishes us from other tutoring outfits in Atlanta. We are also 100% free and open to the public at large on a first-come, first-served registration basis, and I don’t know of any other tutoring organization in Atlanta like that.
We’re most proud of the growth our students make academically and of the way they feel when they come to learn at Mind Bubble. We’ve heard many stories from parents that they had to more-or-less drag their child to the first tutoring session, but after that the kids are hooked and want to come to Mind Bubble every chance they get!
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
There is a lake not far down the road from the house where I grew up and once my dad took me there with a close friend of mine. We rowed a boat to the island in the middle of the lake, “Apple Island,” and explored it together. I felt like the whole place was undiscovered and dangerous and exciting. I guessed at the story behind every little thing I came across – the various signs of past human and animal activity. There is something invigorating and purposeful about feeling like you are in uncharted territory, a land of untold stories.
Pricing:
- All of our programs are always 100% free.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mindbubble.org/
- Phone: (530) 454-7740
- Email: info@mindbubble.org
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MindBubbleAtl/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/mind-bubble-decatur
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