Giving Compass' Take:

• Getting Smart reports on a nonprofit in Belgium called MyMachine that asks elementary school kids to envision a machine that can do anything they want, then challenges high school and colleges to build something from each concept.

• The idea behind MyMachine is simple but fun and enhances the learning process at all levels of education, while encouraging a young generation to think big. Could a similar model work here in the U.S.?

• Here's how we can start designing the future of learning for all kids.

The premise is simple: ask kids what their dream machine would do and then help them build it.

It started with a little boy named Oskar who wanted a machine to dig for Roman treasure. He made a drawing and wrote a user manual. His father, a philosopher, wasn’t very handy but didn’t dismiss his request. They went to a technical school and talked to engineers. And soon, MyMachine was born.

Founded 10 years ago in Flanders (the Dutch-speaking part of), Belgium by Piet Grymonprez from Howest University, Jan Despiegelaere of the Community Foundation of West-Flanders, and Filip Meuris of the community development organization Leiedal, the nonprofit MyMachine Global Foundation began offering thousands of Belgian children the opportunity to dream.

An interesting formula emerged as MyMachine scaled: elementary students are asked to describe their dream machine, college design students and high school prototypers help bring to life the dreams of elementary students.

The founders love to recount a few of their favorite machines: one that fights boredom, one that provides compliments, a turning bunk bed, an elaborate homework delivery machine, and a Belgium fries shooting machine (don’t try calling them French fries while in Belgium). Some are serious while others are silly — it’s about the process, the journey and learning.

Read the full article about MyMachine and bringing dreams to life by Tom Vander Ark at Getting Smart.