Horse of a different color: Sisters create educational toy for girls

Put out appeal to raise $150,000 through Internet donations

Timothy Forsberg
Posted 10/9/14

Two local sisters, who’ve tapped into young girls’ infatuation with horses and created an educational toy which develops students’ leadership skills and Science, Technology, Engineering and …

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Horse of a different color: Sisters create educational toy for girls

Put out appeal to raise $150,000 through Internet donations

Posted

Two local sisters, who’ve tapped into young girls’ infatuation with horses and created an educational toy which develops students’ leadership skills and Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) proficiency, are now looking for the community’s help to produce their idea. 

Warwick resident Mia Godbout and her sister Marisa Banigan recently conceived “Raina to the Rescue!,” an interactive toy and storybook, which targets girls ages 6 to 10. The pair began developing their product about two years ago after discussing the lack of women leaders at the very top of businesses and government. 

“The idea started with my sister,” said Mia. “We realized there was a huge gap, in that only 4 percent of Fortune 500 companies are run by women. The workforce is made up of 50 percent women and 50 percent of college degrees are earned by women, so there’s this huge gap in leadership.” 

A reading specialist and literacy teacher at Ferri Middle School in Johnston, Mia has been teaching for a total of 14 years. She’s a Rhode Island College graduate, and received a master’s degree from the University of New England. Marisa Banigan obtained her business degree from Bryant University, and works for Iron Mountain. 

They believe their skill-sets, experiences and concept will help enhance the lives of young girls by exposing them to STEM at an early age. After months of research, testing, and prototype development, they’ve created a toy to allow girls the opportunity to learn valuable lifetime lessons through playing.

“We did test our prototype informally with girls ranging from ages 5 to12, and formally with about 50 students, girls and boys, at the Montessori Children’s House last year,” Mia said. “We’ve received nothing but positive feedback, it’s been wonderful.” 

“Raina to the Rescue!” consists of books and hands-on activities that follow a girl named Raina and her friends who are animal rescuers. Themes of math and science resonate throughout.

“The storybook leads them through the activity. They’ll go to a stable with Raina and her friends where they’ll meet a veterinarian named Dr. Hope who tells them about a filly that has a broken leg,” Mia said. “Dr. Hope has them help the filly by looking at x-rays to find the break. The children will have to set the leg of the toy and mix and measure a cast for the horse.”

The product’s packaging converts to a horse stable for play and contains the storybook, a toy horse (complete with a broken, fixable leg), gauze rolls, splints, a measuring cup and mixing spoon, and a horse brush. Other toys in the child’s collection can be incorporated for more fun, interactive learning.

“The mission behind our toys is not just to hold a toy while reading a book. We want kids to be actively engaged with every toy,” Mia said. “That’s what really gets their brains going, and brings out the educational side of this. They actually have to physically use the toy to remember and retain the information.” 

To achieve their vision, the sisters are banking on community involvement to get the project off the ground. They’ve launched an online, 30-day crowd-funding campaign through Indiegogo to raise the $150,000 necessary to manufacture the toy they’ve worked so hard conceptualizing. 

“This money will be used to fund the project,” Mia explained. “We have to spend a lot of money on tooling, to make the tools to produce the toy and get the first production going. Our initial order has to be 5,000 units.”  

Since their fundraising campaign started on Sept. 23, they’ve already raised $46,345, about 30 percent of the goal. Contributions have come from family, friends, neighbors and businesses, who receive thank you gifts for their donations. Their unique fundraising campaign also takes an “all or nothing” approach.

“This campaign is risk free,” Mia said. “If we don’t make the $150,000 in 30 days, donors get their money credited back to their accounts. We’re very positive and we’re hoping we’re going to make it, but we’ve also made a commitment that we’re not giving up. If this doesn’t work, we will find another way to get this product to market.”

The sisters hope their venture will eventually become a series. They have the next three or four products already planned out, each with a different type of role model in different professions that they hope to get off the ground with a successful opening of Raina.

Planned for a May 2015 release, “Raina to the Rescue!” will retail for $39.99. While Raina is geared toward girls, they’ve been careful with branding to ensure colors used are gender neutral so that the product would appeal to boys as well.

“Our hope through Raina is that girls will get the message that you can dream big and can be whatever you want to be in life,” Mia said.

For more information about “Raina to the Rescue!” and their fundraising campaign, including a product video, visit www.igg.me/at/Raina.

Comments

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  • ..

    they need to try and get on #SharkTank

    Thursday, October 9, 2014 Report this

  • allent

    awesome.

    Thursday, October 9, 2014 Report this

  • Unionthug

    Stop the presses..... First positive comment ever from Hepdog

    Friday, October 10, 2014 Report this