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The Digital Schoolhouse initiative – a programme that “uses play-based learning to engage the next generation of pupils and teachers with the Computing curriculum” – has won the HundrED Spotlight for Digital Wellbeing Award, celebrating organisations implementing creative innovations to promote and improve digital education.
The not-for-profit Digital Schoolhouse programme is delivered by Ukie, partnered with Nintendo UK, and supported by the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). So far, Digital Schoolhouse has reached 59,000 young people and supported more than 7,500 teachers across the country since it was founded in 2014. 55 schoolhouses have been set up in partnership with schools, colleges, and universities across the country.
HundrED – also a not-for-profit organisation – says it “researches and shares impactful and scalable innovations in K12 education around the world”.
“Being selected for the HundrED Digital Wellbeing spotlight is the perfect way to end a landmark year for Digital Schoolhouse,” said Shahneila Saeed, director of Digital Schoolhouse. “With special thanks to our partners, teachers and students, we’ve achieved significant milestones and historic levels of engagement for the programme.
“To receive this award from HundrED’s esteemed judges and Supercell is the global recognition we’ve dreamed of. Playful computing and digital wellbeing are intrinsic to helping the next generation fulfil their creative potential, but vitally, in becoming accomplished digital citizens that are equipped with the correct Computational Thinking skills to thrive.”
Nintendo UK teamed up with not-for-profit organisation Digital Schoolhouse (DSH) earlier this year to help deliver “play-based learning and industry best practice” to school and college learners over the next academic year, with Konami, Sega, and Ubisoft joining the initiative last month to provide a “special series of events aimed to inspire young people to pursue a career within video games and other creative industries”.
Becoming the programme’s new lead partner, Nintendo UK hopes to support an estimated 32,000 learners across a network for 55 schools and colleges “to bridge the gap between industry and education, combining fun, innovation and creativity with learning” and enable learners to learn anytime, anywhere with Nintendo’s mobile console system, Nintendo Switch. The programme – which is delivered by UK trade industry body Ukie – works in the grassroots of computing and is also working with Nintendo UK to deliver the next DSH national schools esports tournament.
