Acorn
Lisa Sakai Quinley
Acorn is a company that designs and develops fun, educational products for youth about dense subjects, specifically gender equality in the world. Acorn has broken down this topic into simpler themes and concepts that are spread out within three products. The Open Books Open Minds branch produces children’s books; the Partner Pairs memory card game approaches homosexual and heterosexual marriage as well as gender stereotypes within employment; and the Choice or Chance board game simulates life through the lens of gender equality. Acorn’s products introduce themes and concepts within gender equality to youth so as to promote discussion and provide awareness at a young age. The children’s books and memory card game are directed toward youth between the ages of four and seven, whereas the board game is a special for families with a starting age of nine. gender equality is mistakenly believed to be an achieved reality in many countries, however this is far from the truth. There are underlying biases against both sexes in all aspects of life. Acorn’s products are geared toward children who are at the prime ages for information and knowledge acquisition. By introducing gender equality in an approachable and entertaining way, we can provide the building blocks for future generations to create a society in which gender discrimination does not exist.