UNiSTREAM

The quest-game can be played by students with no preliminary experience in IT, however, completion of each quest stage will develop certain IT skills, gradually. More stages passed more skills are developed. Stages thematically developed around all 17 SDGs.

Enhanced employability of young people in local labor market through increased skills in STREAM (science, technology, robotics, engineering, and mathematics) field is the change we would like to achieve.

UNiSTREAM is "mobile device-based" online game (e.g. https://javarush.ru/). UNiSTREAM will train young people (targeting women and PWD) new ICT skills needed for emerging labor market (e.g. mobile app development, creating bot and AI, machine learning, computer visioning, IoT, augmented reality etc.). Having no preliminary experience in ICT, in cities and remote areas, with strong and weaker internet access, the playing-the-game youth will develop basic ICT skills by the end of it.  

Gaming approach in education, training and learning strategies is innovative and strategic in a way allowing students (mostly young generation) easily, more practically and in attractive manner to learn new skills and be aware about global sustainable Agenda 2030.

Worldwide, Java Community Process, Python Software Foundation, Apache Software Foundation (ASF), Digital Mars are interested to develop special skills needed in STREAM field. Although, there are attempts to increase the number of the skilled specialists capable to apply programming language, we have observed no systemic approach. If our test is successful, clearly, there is a huge interest from private sector to train more women and PwD to increase the number of the skilled specialists capable to apply a particular programming language and computing platform, pertaining to a certain company (Java, Python, C++ etc.). These private sector representatives may want to take over our idea scale up the initiative not only at the regional, but also at the global level.

Current and emerging technology is fundamentally altering the job market, as well as types of jobs that will exist in the future and the skills that will be required for those jobs.[1] Talent of women and PwD remains one of the most under-utilized business resources, either squandered through lack of progression or untapped from the onset[2].

Available data on STREAM for Kazakhstan shows, female students comprise only 35.9% of all students studying ICT related specialties (2016). The overall ICT literacy among women is only 18.4%, in Kazakhstan. 

[1] http://www.futuristspeaker.com/business-trends/2-billion-jobs-to-disappear-by-2030/

[2] http://www.sunstone-solutions.com/blog/2016/7/29/the-untapped-resource-women-in-business-tech

• If we teach people (especially young women and PwD) STREAM skills, then they will become more competitive in emerging labor market;
• If we apply gamification (quest-based) in our training module then it will allow easier, more practical and attractive learning for youth (women and PwD);
• If we develop our modules in 17 thematic areas related to SDGs, then it will let students to raise their awareness about global sustainable Agenda 2030.

Enhanced employability of young people (with special focus to women and PwD) in local labor market through increased skills in STREAM (science, technology, robotics, engineering, and mathematics) field is the change we would like to achieve. 

To deploy we shall conduct:

• series of meetings with students of IT faculties in universities of Astana and Almaty (offline strategy);
• online campaign to encourage young people to participate in the game (online strategy);

- collecting real-time data at all stages of the game, such as: # of registered students; age; gender; geographical location; disability status and type; specialization and occupation; dropout rate; - At least 10,000 people will play the game

- monitoring of progress done by each student

- conducting pre- and post-training skills (to evaluate impact); - About 85% of students is capable to develop a mobile application and skilled in web design.

- conducting pre- and post-training skills (to evaluate impact);

- various forms of brief thematic surveys (related to the game, SDGs, skills etc.)

- setting various forms of test to various part of the audience to collect more behavioral insights - Over 90% has increased their awareness about SDGs and their interlinked nature

Gaming approach in education, training and learning strategies is innovative and strategic in a way allowing students (mostly young generation) easily, more practically and in attractive manner to learn new skills and be aware about global sustainable Agenda 2030.

In fact, the idea came from human-centered design exercise (wild safari) during the inspiration and ideation stage.

Our proposed idea is similar to the famous (at least in CIS) online game https://javarush.ru/. We plan to develop its phone-based analogue (as phone-based option will be more accessible and feasible). 

We have two projects running in the related topic (Women empowerment 2016-2018 and Social Modernization: building inclusive society for PwD 2017-2019).

• risk of low general participation;
• risk of low participation of women and PwD;
• high dropout rate / Low course-completion rate;
• low incentive to participate in the after-game competition;
• risk of inability to find a vendor capable to develop the needed gaming platform;

https://www.facebook.com/UNDPKazakhstan/

http://www.kz.undp.org/

Decision to apply to the MIT Solve was not a spontaneous decision. After having studied the challenge for years, we came to the conclusion that the MIT Solve covers many development areas and is the best opportunity for the realization of our professional goals and personal inspiration to leave no one behind applying innovative solutions.

UNDP Rio+ Centre

Astana Innovations (www.ain.kz)

Nazarbayev University (www.nu.edu.kz)

Eurasian University (www.enu.kz)

The famous in CIS online game https://javarush.ru/ (to some extent)