Adam Balkin talks about a new after school program that uses the Rubik's Cube to teach some important lessons.

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She learned it in class. That class, part of New York City Parks and Rec after school programs, that have brought in the You Can Do the Rubik's Cube initiative, an initiative the cube's developers came up with as a way to both celebrate the iconic puzzle's 30th birthday and use it to teach some real world lessons. The program comes with a box of cubes and booklets teaching kids and the adults looking over their shoulders, how to solve it.

"It teaches them life lessons, it can be pretty frustrating when you're doing it and some of them could give up. Well, actually it's been the opposite. It's a boost to their self-confidence. A lot of the kids will go home do one color come back and do it again and they get excited about it. Great for their confidence. it encourages them that if it's something they don't normally feel comfortable doing or are familiar with it encourages them to try something new," said Cindy Caruso a New York City Parks After School coordinator.

And the kids here says it's especially gratifying to take it home to mom and dad and teach them how to solve the toy they likely gave up trying to master 20 or 30 years ago.

"I kinda found it interesting and I was excited the first time I completed the Rubik's Cube at my home. I couldn't do it, but then when you see other people solve it, you get really inspired by how they do it," said one student.

For teachers who want to bring one of these into the classroom, developers have even created an online math program for it.

At the initiative's website,YouCanDoTheCube.com, educators can download lesson plans that integrate the puzzle into certain curricula, which creators insists can help covering topics including area, perimeter, volume, angles and algorithms. The site also has solution guides, activities for parents and youth organizations and even information on cube solving competitions.

For more on programs that engage teenagers in science, technology, engineering and math, you can visit our corporate website promoting such activities at ConnectAMillionMinds.com.