Erase All Kittens is a web-based platform game that will teaches kids aged 8-14 real coding languages, and helps to eliminate their fear of technology by gamifying the learning process. This project would provide a new, innovative way to help close the gender gap in technology.
Other code education tools aren’t designed to appeal to girls, and they also don’t teach real-world coding languages - only the concepts of coding (e.g. computational thinking). E.A.K. is disruptive as it will be incredibly engaging to girls - we immersed ourselves in the culture of our target audience to invent a gamified, story-driven approach to teach new skills. E.A.K. is also unique because as players progress, they can edit the code that governs the game environment, i.e. learning by building and fixing levels as they play.
We have collected data from 12,000 feedback forms - from children who have played E.A.K.
It has been found that less than 18% of girls are learning to code, after school. 55% of all E.A.K’s 130,000 players are girls, and 95% want to learn more about code, after playing.
Since 2015, we have received thousands of messages, from children, teachers, parents and organisations, wanting more levels, and to know when the full game will be released.
In 2015 we beta-tested E.A.K. at Oasis Academies, a group of 47 schools in the UK, with huge success (see: http://agent4change.net/ed-resources/2416-what-s-up-pussycat-pupils-who-erase-kittens). After twelve months of beta-testing, several Oasis teachers and Liz Hankin, the educational consultant for Oasis schools, summarised that E.A.K. didn’t just successfully teach girls to code - it encouraged them to become researchers, teachers, problem solvers, team builders, writers and designers, as well as coders.
Solely through word-of-mouth, the new version of E.A.K. (60 minutes content) already has 130,000 players around the world - 30% from the UK, and 44% from the US.
Our extensive research on girls and code education has been printed in several UK publications this year, including Newsweek,
(see:http://europe.newsweek.com/gender-gap-tech-widening-stem-coding-gaming-546899)
Business Reporter (see: https://business-reporter.co.uk/2017/05/19/mission-inspire-girls-code/) and The Huffington Post (see http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jimmy-leach/the-solution-to-the-loomi_b_13168608.html)
We have recently partnered with CoderDojo (1600+ code clubs globally) and this year, we are planning on making the biggest impact in Lebanon and Damascus - working with Techfugees on E.A.K coding workshops for girls. We are also creating a “Global E.A.K.” initiative where thousands of E.A.K. accounts will be given to girls in less developed areas of the world, who have access to computers at school.
