By MAI OMOTO, Kizuna NCI intern 

The Caring Cubing Community (CCC) hosted its second Rubik’s Cube class at the Terasaki Budokan on July 24. Created by Jeremy John in 2023, the Caring Cubing Community is a nonprofit organization dedicated to teaching seniors how to solve a Rubik’s Cube. 

John holds a series of in-person and online meetings to teach the volunteers how to solve a Rubik’s Cube themselves. During each class, volunteers work with the seniors individually to walk them through the steps of solving the cube. Each senior is provided with their own cube and instruction booklet, which they are allowed to keep after the class. 

John found inspiration for founding this club after recognizing loneliness in seniors, including his own grandparents. After volunteering at a senior home, he realized that this was a widespread issue, especially throughout and following the pandemic. He observed the negative mental and physical effects of isolation, noting that little was being done to address this issue, particularly as retirement often led to seniors becoming bored and lonely. 

However, he then observed how his grandparents found their own hobbies, and how this gave them happiness and motivation to engage in physical activity, which then made him realize the significant benefits of community-oriented hobbies. 

“I realized that I could introduce something to seniors that I already enjoyed doing, which happened to be Rubik’s cubes, and have a twofold benefit: creating a space for socialization and providing an engaging, mentally stimulating activity,” John said. “This started with me teaching my grandma the Rubik’s cube, then getting my friends to do the same, and eventually we came into contact with Terasaki Budokan and started to have classes for local seniors.” 

With the inspiration for this project, John broke down the Rubik’s Cube by using a simpler 2 x 2 cube. By making the cube smaller, he was able to make solving the cube much shorter and easier. He also created a comprehensive curriculum, teaching the seniors specific strategies to solving the cube in different configurations. Working with the Dragon Kim Foundation, the CCC was able to receive funding, resources, and mentorship following their initial class in 2023. With this, John hopes to be able to provide regular classes in both Little Tokyo and other communities. 

As a high school student, John shared how through the CCC, he was able to develop his communication skills, as well as a sense of empathy for those around him. He also expressed a feeling of empowerment and fulfillment for both him and the other volunteers. For many, especially in younger generations, the ability to identify problems within society and one’s own community is quite easy. However, the ability to address these issues allows individuals to see that they are actively making a difference. 

The CCC also provides seniors with the space to engage in both socialization and an activity that is physically and mentally stimulating. In conjunction with isolation, many seniors face a lack of cognitive stimulation, resulting in brain atrophy. The one-on-one nature of the instruction pushes the seniors to challenge themselves mentally. The ability to learn something new is empowering for individuals of all ages, making this class an avenue for fulfillment and self-confidence. 

One senior shared that she had always had an interest in the Rubik’s Cube after seeing a professional competition on television. She stated, “I want to learn the basics… I felt intimidated trying to practice on my own, but it is helpful to have a teacher. Little by little, I want to learn how to solve it.” She also recognized how the class offered her the opportunity to make friends and socialize, without which she would usually stay at home. The CCC provided the motivation to go out and engage in this activity. 

The CCC not only provides opportunities for seniors to engage with the community but also brings awareness to the issue of social isolation. Following the pandemic, loneliness impacts individuals of all generations and has become a widespread problem. “There are plenty of groups of people that face these issues [of social isolation],” John said. “I feel that this activity could benefit not only seniors, but all people in positions of loneliness.” 

Click on this link to watch a video about the CCC event: Click here!

This publication was supported in whole or in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library.

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