Curiosity is how we begin when the way forward isn't obvious.
When something isn't working, when we don't know what comes next, when the stakes are real — curiosity is what lets us begin anyway. It keeps us open. It helps us try things. It lets us learn our way into better possibilities, together.
What
This Is
Let Curiosity Lead is a community practice.
We gather statements about why curiosity matters:
to your future,
to your community,
to our shared public life.
Not opinions.
Not arguments.
Just what you want to see cared for, protected, and explored.
Your card becomes part of a growing collection of everyday commitments to possibility.
Why Curiosity Matters
Curiosity isn't about having answers. It's about being willing to learn our way forward.
We are all facing situations we can't Google:
How to raise healthy kids in a noisy world
What do we lose when we stop being able to learn from each other?
How to make our towns places people want to stay?
How do we take care of each other when we don't see the world the same way?
How to build something better than what we inherited?
Curiosity gives us a way to start,
even when we don't know the ending.
It keeps the door open to what could be.
The Curiosity Mailbag
The Curiosity Mailbag makes our shared care visible.
Write a short statement about why curiosity matters to you.
We print it on a physical card.
Your voices are gathered and amplified.
Those voices are hand-carried into rooms where decisions are made.
Not to convince.
Not to pressure.
Not to win.
But to make space for learning — the kind that only happens when we remember what we care about.
Curiosity becomes something we hold in common, not something we carry alone.
Why This Matters
For You
Curiosity helps you move toward the things that matter, even when the answer isn't clear yet.
For Your Community
Curiosity lets us work on problems together, without needing to become enemies.
For Our Nation
Curiosity is how a democracy keeps discovering what comes next.
How to Participate
There is no sign-up and no membership.
You participate at the scale that fits your life.
Two Minutes
Ongoing
Carry curiosity forward to your board meeting, council session, classroom, or workplace →
We begin small. That's how real things grow.
Our Role
We steward the Mailbag.
We print the cards.
We carry the volumes.
We share reflections back.
We do this carefully, quietly, and with respect.
We don't tell people what to think.
We simply make space for how we learn together.
Who We Are
Stephanie & Isaac Budmen
We're inventors, designers, educators, and neighbors who believe curiosity is a civic value. For years we've helped people learn by making—building classrooms that feel like workshops and workshops that feel like classrooms.
The Curiosity Mailbag is our next step: a way for your wonder to travel from your hands to the halls of Congress printed, respectful, and impossible to ignore.
We'll take every card and deliver it to Congressional offices, public officials, and community leaders, and share highlights publicly only if you opt in.
We only share the information you give us permission to share. First names and roles are optional. You choose whether your card appears in the public gallery.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Let Curiosity Lead?
Let Curiosity Lead is a national grassroots movement that gathers community questions and delivers them to Congress, public officials and community leaders. We believe curiosity is a civic virtue essential to democracy. Through our Curiosity Mailbag, we make your voice heard in the rooms where decisions are made.
How do I participate?
It takes just 2 minutes to add your curiosity card. Share a question or statement about why curiosity matters to your future, your community, or our shared public life. Your card will be printed and included in the Curiosity Mailbag delivered to public officials and community leaders.
Is my information private?
Yes. First names and roles are optional. You choose whether your card appears in the public gallery. We only share the information you give us permission to share. Your card is yours to control.
Is there a cost to participate?
No. Let Curiosity Lead is completely free. There is no sign-up, no membership fee, and no cost to add your curiosity card. This is a grassroots civic movement accessible to everyone.
Curiosity won't solve everything.
But it gives us a way to begin —
together, and in good faith.