faces & places
Minnesota Moments
by Audrey Kletscher Helbling

July/August 2008
Reprinted with Permission
 

Ramsey Family Creates Minnesota History-Based Game

    A mother and son from Ramsey have teamed up to create a board game that focuses on Minnesota History, just in time for our state's sesquicentennial year celebration.  Spotlight on Minnesota^TM,  developed by Cheri and Matt Frame, released this spring.
    The bingo-style game covers a broad range of history through the people, cities, events and geography of our state.  Using facts paired with questions, Spotlight on Minnesota^TM is a unique game "because it offers a learning component tied to our state history," Cheri said.  She added that few such games exist.
    "Most of what we do (as a family) centers around education," says Cheri, who homeschools Matt, 15, and his siblings Katie, 14, and Levi, 12.  Husband Tim teaches at Anoka Senior High School.
    The idea for the game actually began several years ago when Cheri volunteered to teach Minnesota History to third and fourth graders at Partnership Homeschool Co-op in Elk River. 

 pp 18 & 19 July/August 2008 Minnesota Moments

"I knew nothing about Minnesota history," Cheri said. "I wanted to add fun and challenge to the class.  I wanted to encourage kids to learn and to memorize the facts." So she created an early version of Spotlight on Minnesota^TM to reinforce textbook learning.
    At the time, Cheri entertained the thought of eventually developing her game into a marketable product.  Then, when ninth-grader Matt began studying economics during the past year, the timing seemed right to take the next step.  In January, Spotlight on Minnesota^TM became an economics project for Matt, a history buff.  Part of her goal, Cheri said, was "to foster an entrepreneurial spirit" in her son.  The process included creating a business plan.  Other family members provided idea input an  product testing. "They were our biggest supporters and our biggest critics," Cheri said. 
    Using the original game as a guideline, Matt and his mom began more in-depth research. They turned first to textbooks from area school districts.  The pair wanted to include information taught to students, Cheri explained.  They also researched websites for the 120 fact-filled questions that make-up the game.  The process involved meticulously checking numerous sources for accuracy.
  

    The result is a game that appeals not only to educators, but also to families, grandparents and anyone interested in learning more about Minnesota.  The game is promoted for ages 8-80 and offers three skill levels of play.  As players correctly answer questions, they cover spaces on bingo style game boards.  Spaces feature artwork and words tied to Minnesota History.
    Already the game has been proven popular with homeschoolers.  Matt and Cheri are working to get their game into places that sell Minnesota-related products and/or educational resources for teachers and parents. "I want families to develop and interest and love for Minnesota state history," Cheri said.
    They also hope that Spotlight on Minnesota^TM eventually will turn a profit.  Matt, who is active in Civil Air Patrol cadet program, plans to use his earnings to attend a Patrick Henry College teen leadership camp on strategic intelligence in Washington D.C.  He has other goals as well - to finish his college degree by the time he graduates from high school and to some day become a history professor. 
Matt said he has already learned the lessons of hard work and perseverance from the fast-track project development of Spotlight on Minnesota^TM.