DENVER (AP) – Failure Fair encourages high school students to take creative risks
Fritz Boyle didn’t compose a perfect novel the first time she sat down to write. It took the Evangelical Christian Academy senior three years to complete and self-publish Shadows, a 52,000-word novel and one of four books she has in the works.
Boyle was a finalist Saturday at The Museum of Contemporary Art’s first annual Failure Fair, a new scholarship program for college-bound high school seniors. Each finalist presented a project that required creative risk-taking.
“It’s been a learning process,” Boyle said. “I didn’t even know what a plot was when I started.”
Every project showcased at the event grew out of a failure. Museum officials wanted to give students the freedom to make mistakes and learn from them.
For many finalists like Boyle, who began writing her novel in the seventh grade, learning to take risks doesn’t come naturally.
“It was ultimately a success, but there was a lot of stuff that went wrong,” she said. “Even if it’s the worst piece of literature ever written, I feel like it was a success.”
The winner of the Failure Fair scholarship receives a $10,000 award. The 12 finalists were judged on presentation, incorporation of risk, academic rigor and a question-and-answer session.
Xavion Cowans, an Eaglecrest High School senior, said his project is a step toward a future in computer engineering.
Cowans presented his idea for “Space Yahtzee,” a dice game that astronauts can play. He took apart a microwave, removed the transfuser and created an electromagnet. After failing multiple times to create a functional game, Cowans said he learned that persistence is the key to success.
“I feel that failure is another learning tool,” he said. “I had to struggle. Failure is really just an opportunity.”
The Failure Fair fits into the Museum of Contemporary Art’s mission to reach a teenage audience, said Sarah Baie, museum director of programming. She noted high school students are often rewarded for academic or athletic achievements rather than their creativity.
“We weren’t looking for the brightest students,” she said. “We were looking for students who showed the most innovative spirit.”
