How Kids Can Code Their Way To The Future

“Learning to write programs stretches your mind, and helps you think better, creates a way of thinking about things that I think is helpful in all domains” — Bill Gates

As we drive to work in our cars, do laundry in our washing machines or pay for coffee using our credit cards, rarely do we wonder what forces animate those everyday objects. The answer becomes clear when we pick up a smartphone or a laptop. All those wonderful inventions were made possible thanks to software. It is now impossible for countries and economies to function properly without the huge variety of software programs that organize manufacturing processes, route planes, run stock markets and enable instantaneous global communication.

The ability to give instructions to a computer, or coding, has become the most sought-after skill of the 21st century. Over the next ten years, programming will be one of the fastest growing occupations. There will be 1.4 million programming jobs and only 400 thousand computer science graduates to fill these jobs. What is more, a computer science major can earn 40% more than the average for a college graduate.

And yet, so few people know how to create software and use technology to solve important problems. What is even more worrying is the fact that only 1 in 4 schools teach kids computer programming. This means that the vast majority of children will be at a disadvantage when they come to finish their formal education. As Jim Chalmers and Tim Watts from the Guardian said:

“In an age where kids can use iPads before they can read books, it’s never too soon to teach kids to be technologically literate.”

But computer science is not only about writing apps and programs. For kids age 6–12 the real goal should be to instill the logical thinking skills and the ability to break a problem down and create a solution. This is a highly valuable skill that, combined with the capacity to create code, will help kids express themselves and unveil their creations to the whole world. The number of kids that think of themselves as creators of programs, not just consumers is growing.

Young Thomas Suarez is one such kid. He was a 12 year-old when he came to serve as a fine example of the extent to which coding can empower young people. He learned how to program and started to develop apps. Millions of people have now downloaded his creations and he was invited to give a talk at TEDx, an international series of conferences on technology, education and design. But Thomas doesn’t have to be an anomaly; there is no reason why more kids can’t learn this form of art and expression.

So how can we encourage youngsters to embark on this amazing adventure? There are three core elements that can help in this endeavor:

• Learning through play and making education fun

• Making coding more accessible and engaging

• Using storytelling to speed up learning and create long-term interest

So far, there have been very few solutions which followed those guidelines. Some solutions were too complicated and others were too simplistic or not child-friendly. That is why our team of psychologists, designers and engineers made it their mission to create the perfect toy which incorporates all those principles.

We’ve created the first toy robot that develops along with a child — Photon. It is equipped with numerous sensors which enable interaction with the environment and it offers different features which are unlocked at landmark stages of a child’s development. Photon provides a unique opportunity and experience for kids to develop logical thinking. It also provides the child with entertainment and aides his or her development for years to come. Children participate in an incredible adventure and are tasked with helping Photon recover parts of his spaceship. They meet interesting characters, solve puzzles and challenges, and create software for their robot. Through these activities they are taught:

• logical thinking

• programming basics

• social skills

Children can also improve their memory and discover ways of experiencing modern technologies in proactive ways. Photon develops with children which means that the robot has the same capabilities as his owner. Thanks to this approach, we can be sure that children understand how Photon works and are motivated to play with him. Our educational robot will help children fall in love with science, math, and technology!

The world needs more problem solvers! It is crying out for people who can think logically and use technology to their advantage. It needs more programmers to develop amazing software for others to use and enjoy. It is essential that we encourage and teach our kids to think logically and to tell computers what to do (not the other way around). This is the reason why we’ve built Photon.

I’m sure that Photon will develop an algorithm thinking skills in children. Thanks to Photon we will have a lot of talented developers in future because children will want to study computer science. — Jolanta Koszelew, CEO UpLogic, Academic Teacher, Innovation Broker, TOP500 Innovators

We’ve finished and tested the first prototypes and we are now ready to bring these fun, little robots into the world. Now, at last, we can invite even more parents and their children to meet Photon and take part in our journey!

We are delighted to announce that we are bringing Photon to Kickstarter! Our campaign starts on the 17th of May. If you would like to keep up-to-date with future developments, please subscribe to our newsletter.