Scratch Education Collaborative Spotlight: Sistema THEAD
By Valerie I
This post is the third in a series highlighting the work of the Scratch Education Collaborative (SEC). In this series, we’ll explore core principles, people, and practices that help shape the way we think about creative, collaborative learning.
For 15 years, millions of young people have used Scratch to express themselves and create the worlds they want to see. By engaging in productive play with Scratch, young people can develop a wide range of skill sets and, most importantly, are empowered to think creatively. As we expand, we want Scratch to be a place where even more young people can showcase their brilliant and unique talents, regardless of their socioeconomic class, gender, beliefs, or abilities. We understand that this vision begins with creating more accessible and tangible pathways to creative coding.
In an earlier post, Inclusivity, creativity, and coding: Inside of the Scratch Education Collaborative with Elaine Atherton, we explored why equity-based approaches are an integral part of generating new and accessible pathways to creative coding, especially in historically marginalized communities. Atherton believes equitable creative coding begins with the intention to collaborate and create opportunities based on multiple perspectives, inclusivity, and fairness.
We launched the Scratch Education Collaborative (SEC) as an initiative to lead us in these equity-based approaches by connecting, supporting, and elevating organizations from around the world who are committed to identifying and eliminating the barriers to access to creative coding. We recently spoke with a participant from the SEC’s inaugural cohort to better understand the value of equity-driven, cross-cultural collaborations.
Sistema THEAD is a non-profit organization located in Spain, where 7,500 students have severe visual impairments, and 228,000 children have been diagnosed with a wide range of intellectual, motor, and auditory impairments. Sistema THEAD was one of 37 organizations to join the SEC’s inaugural cohort in 2021. Their mission is to eliminate the digital divide among underrepresented groups by enhancing the quality of educational experiences for children in Spain and Latin America by providing equity-centered resources and training.
Roger Olivella is a Co-Founder & Director of Learning Design at Sistema THEAD; here is what he had to share about his experience with the SEC thus far:
What does equitable coding mean to you, and why are equitable coding opportunities necessary for the communities you serve?
Equitable coding means leaving no one behind. It means that all students can learn to code without exception.
This means designing inclusive resources that all children can use together. We want to develop resources that allow everyone to express themselves and create.
We want youth with visual, motor, and intellectual disabilities to feel just as engaged with Scratch as their classmates. We want them to be included in this powerful tool that holds great opportunities for their personal and professional futures.
Many communities without access to computers can greatly benefit from a screen-free and unplugged resource like the ScratchJr Tactile that our team created with the help of the SEC.
ScratchJr Tactile is a new inclusive, and tangible resource for learning Scratch.
The concept is inspired by the ScratchJr app and philosophy. With this resource, children as young as four years old can learn creative coding with their hands for an unplugged, tangible, and social learning experience.
This resource is based on a set of tactile programming blocks and boards that allow young people to create new backgrounds by drawing characters using tools like play-doh and 3D printing and even manufacture their own kit using 3D or 2D digital fabrication technologies.
What has been the most valuable aspect of joining the SEC thus far?
I think the most valuable aspect of the SEC is working together for a shared dream: the equity and accessibility of Scratch.
It is a big challenge, but we believe this program is the beginning of this dream to come true.
These shared goals have allowed us to create new connections with other amazing organizations around the world.
Since joining the SEC, we have had the opportunity to bring our first ScratchJr Tactile kits made in Barcelona to the USA, and we were amazed at the enthusiastic feedback we received.
We’ve presented ScratchJr Tactile to SEC organizations like Cornell Tech, 75 schools in the New York City school district, Mouse.org, as well as other interested organizations like Perkins School for Blind and Adaptive Design Association.
How has your involvement with the SEC influenced your thinking about collaborative learning?
Through my involvement, I’ve realized that the highest value of Scratch is not the technological one but the human value. We have not only talked about collaborative learning; we have practiced it.
We have received very close support from Jacy and Tracy from the Scratch Foundation, despite being thousands of kilometers away!
The SEC program has opened us up to a global, intercontinental, and intercultural collaboration that has great transformative power for all educators who fight for a better and more collaborative world.
What are you looking forward to the most in your second year of the cohort experience?
In this second year of the cohort, we want to continue learning from the experiences of Scratch and other organizations that promote the equity and inclusion of underrepresented groups.
We hope our collaboration with SEC will help elevate the resources we have created. We want to make the new ScratchJr Tactile accessible, especially to students and educators from disadvantaged countries and educators who work with students with disabilities and high cultural diversity.
Another important aspect for us is connecting with organizations, governments, and institutions that can support the growth and development of the ScratchJr Tactile to reach even more students who need it.
We don’t want any students left behind.
You can learn more about ScratchJr Tactile at www.scratchjrtactile.org. Here you will find example activities, lesson plans, designs, and a community space to share ideas and practices about inclusion and accessibility.
The SEC is just one of many building blocks Scratch uses to foster community and generate intentional and equitable pathways to creative learning. In our next post, we’ll learn how the SEC’s recent trip to Kenya will inform our future work.
We are now accepting applications for our new SEC cohort! Are you interested in joining? Click here to apply.
Follow us on Twitter @Scratch for current updates on the SEC.
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.
