For a long time, Nintendo meant entertainment, but it seems that now the company looks to get into education.
The latest Nintendo news
On Tuesday, Nintendo announced partnering up with Institute of Play, an education nonprofit. The purpose is to introduce the popular Switch gaming console and the DIY Lobo kits to 100 classrooms from all across the US.
Why is Nintendo doing this?
The company looks to help children build critical thinking and communication skills in technology, mathematics, engineering, art, and science.
The Nintendo Switch and Lobo
This device acts as both a home and handheld console, and it has sold so far over 10 million units after it was released. Starting with January 2018, the company introduced Lobo, a series of DIY Nintendo projects which allows children to build various things.
We are talking about stuff like a fishing rod, an RC car or a piano from cardboard. The figures made can be used with Switch video games and kids get basic programming skills through the Toy-Con Garage feature.
The program
Nintendo promises to introduce 100 schools to these products, nationwide, becoming available for kids between 8 and 11 years old. A pilot program took place already, bringing kits to 11 schools from the New York City Tri-state area. This program is expected to last until March 2019.
How can schools participate?
Those that are interested in the program can apply. Eventually, Institute of Play will create lesson plans for any teacher who wants to introduce this innovation to their classroom.
The president and chief operating officer of Nintendo America, Reggie Fils-Aime, said that “Nintendo thinks in terms of the long-term. The importance of STEM and STEAM for us is core to having great employees in the future”.
It’s really nice to see a company that was a positive influence on your childhood take such an important step towards educating the future.
Tim M. Hill helped bring Digital-Overload from a weekly newsletter to a full-fledged news site by creating a new website and branding. He continues to assist in keeping the site responsive and well organized for the readers. As a writer to Digital-Overload, Tim mainly covers mobile news and gadgets.
