Central Middle School's Bold Experiment: Unlocking Tulsa's Next Generation of Problem -Solvers

What Happens When you Hand Students the Tools to Build Anything

TULSA, OK, UNITED STATES, November 12, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Walk into certain classrooms at Central Middle School and you won't see traditional lessons. Instead, you'll find 7th and 8th graders building prototypes, calculating budgets, and preparing business pitches that would impress any entrepreneur.

These students aren't just learning about innovation—they're living it.

Through Kidvation Global's Applied Imagination™ curriculum, Central Middle School students are discovering they have the creative genius to solve real problems and build products that could change lives. On December 16, 2025, they'll prove it at a Shark Tank-style Capstone Pitch Presentation.

From Ideas to Impact in 18 Lessons

Since September, student teams have worked through an intensive entrepreneurship program that teaches them to think like innovators. They've identified community problems, brainstormed solutions, developed products, and learned the business fundamentals that bring ideas to life.
"I hope to equip students with skills, mentors, and the belief that their ideas matter," said Obum Ukabam, Central Middle School program facilitator. "When young people start to understand things like branding, budgeting and customer discovery, they begin to shape their own futures and strengthen the community around them."

The program unlocks the relationship between creativity and innovation in young people, as demonstrated by system scientist and creative performance researcher George Land. His research showed 98% of five-year-olds tested as "creative geniuses"—but that percentage drops dramatically over time through traditional education methods.

Making The Pitch

Student teams will pitch their products to local entrepreneurs, business leaders, and innovation experts at the December 16th Capstone Pitch Presentation.
“This isn't about addressing deficits—it's about unleashing potential,” said Harold Lee Jr., Co-founder at Kidvation Global. "It's about equipping a community of young innovators who are ready to change the world. Every student at Central Middle School has the same creative genius as any entrepreneur in Silicon Valley. Our job is simply to help them recognize and apply it."

Why This Matters

Tulsa reflects national trends in educational performance challenges, but research shows project-based learning (PBL) offers a powerful path forward. A 2021 joint study by the University of Southern California and Michigan State University found students in project-based AP classes outperformed traditional classes by 8 percentage points—regardless of socioeconomic background. A 2023 NIH Frontiers in Psychology study confirmed that PBL creates "a deeper sense of purpose" while better preparing students for modern careers focused on collaboration, problem solving, and creativity.
Kidvation takes project-based learning to the next level. Students don't just complete classroom projects—they create real products designed to reach the actual marketplace. Kidvation students' innovations move from the classroom into the world, where their creative work becomes tangible products that can make a difference in people's lives.

Media representatives are invited to attend the Capstone Pitch Presentation on December 16, 2025 at The Common Good Tulsa, 19 South 49th West Avenue. Space is limited. To RSVP or request student/teacher or Kidvation founder interviews, contact: Sherry Eichberger | sherry@central515.com | 281-380-9013

About Kidvation Global
Kidvation Global is a nonprofit organization dedicated to teaching students the repeatable patterns of innovative thinking through its Applied Imagination™ curriculum. The program has reached thousands of students across 7 countries, helping young people discover their creative potential and develop entrepreneurial mindsets.

About Central Middle School
Central Middle School is part of Tulsa Public Schools and serves approximately 300 students in grades 6-8. Located on the historic Central campus alongside Central High School (established 1906), the school is committed to building authentic relationships with students and families while challenging students to meet their full potential.

Sherry Eichberger
Central515
+1 281-380-9013
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