West Michigan's Morning News
Avoiding Summer Brain Drain with WIMEE
back on the live line with us, the founder of Whimmy TV, our friend Michael Hyacinth. Thanks for doing this today, Michael. - Good morning, how are you? - I'm great thank you. What advice do you have, and especially with deference to a little lovable robot that you know a little bit about, what kind of things are out there, programs out there for parents, to keep their kids as sharp as they can be for the summer? - You know, it's a great question. I thank you so much for having me, and so we're excited to continue to build Whimmy, the robot, the character, the teacher's kids, how to use their imagination, how to be creative. And while parents are struggling to keep their kids engaged throughout the summer, we're continuing to build a program that allows kids to participate on our show, but also provide kids the opportunity to catch Whimmy at various places around the city of Grand Rapids. We just completed an amazing camp at the Grand Rapids Art Museum. We're currently doing a day of play with the Grand Rapids Children's Museum. So while there are so many things that can be done, local collaborations, local places, all providing this interactive opportunity, and we're happy that Whimmy continues to be a part of that. - Michael, congratulations on the success. I know you are live on Fridays, 1230 on WGBUTV. Locally, a lot of parents would know where to find that, but also the distribution of the show, where other places people can find it. And along with that, other educational videos or shows like you're talking about. - Yeah, so we're in about 60 million homes around the country on various PBS stations, reaching 30 different PBS stations. And we are doing some amazing things where we just launched a series of animations with our friends at the Children's Museum and Kellogg Foundation, where Whimmy is creating animations that teaches kids how to be empathetic, how to be kind. And we're partnering to teach kids about financial literacy through our most recent book. Whimmy learns about money that was published by Zondor Kids. And so, you know what? We're really trying to build a company that continues to inspire kids to learn through their own imagination. And I think that's what makes Whimmy the robot different from other characters that are out there. We want kids to be producers of technology, rather than just consumers. And so, from our show on PBS to our technology, kids are asked to create, because in this age of automation and AI, it's important that kids value and recognize the value of their imagination. That's what Whimmy is all about. - Talk to us a little bit about maybe a strategy for a mom or a dad. Brett and I are super blessed that our wives are educators, right? So, during the summer, my wife, a Black Hawk helicopter mom, Sandy, would even do things like Circle, that you would do it as school when kids were a little because she had that training, but not all parents are educators. So, whether it's encouraging them to read a book or two for the summer, what kind of tips would you give as somebody who is as involved as you are for parents, for their kids? - That's a great question. And I think, you know, sometimes parents don't feel as if they have the adequate knowledge, but I think ultimately it's about just spending time with the kid and coming up with your own creative, you know, a playfulness. And so that's what we're finding with Whimmy, is that Whimmy wants to not just inspire the kids to use their imagination, but uplift parents to recognize that, hey, when you're creating or you're doing something, it doesn't have to be perfect. It's the opportunity to spend the moment with the child and to go through the journey of innovation and creativity. And it could be going out for a walk and just coming up with a fun, silly story about the walk. It could be, you know, just writing things down and using these words and coming up with, you know, fun stories based on just three words that you guys come up with. And so that's why, you know, Whimmy, we believe, is the digital companion, you know, for kids of the future that is going to lead them, you know, to pursue a life of innovation, creativity and imagination. And it starts at a very early age, teaching kids the value of their imagination and their creativity. And so while parents may not be creative, you know, we want them to go ahead and try that creative idea that they have so that the child can recognize that we're doing this together and it doesn't have to be perfect. But it's the journey of, you know, doing something that is most valuable. - The founder of WhimmyTV, Whimmy.TV. Michael Hyerson, great stuff is always, thank you. - Thank you so much. And if I must say, we'd love for everybody to follow us on our different platforms. Instagram @WhimmyTheRobot and parent can find the amazing work that we do on our YouTube channel @WhimmyTheRobot. Thank you so much.