Learning Beautiful

Hands-on computer science for young learners

Computer science has become a fundamental literacy. There are currently over 500,000 unfilled computer science jobs in the US, and not enough qualified applicants. The computer is a powerful creative tool; computational thinking is a skill of logic and problem-solving that can be extended across all disciplines. 

Still the majority of classrooms are not incorporating any computer science, and this is especially true for younger classrooms. We see two main barriers for educators:

First, the majority of resources available are dependent on screens. With growing evidence of the detrimental effects of digital systems on a child’s development, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends we limit screen time for children, and none at all for children under five. 

Second, educators are not always comfortable with using technology or teaching subjects they are not trained in. 

We have created a simple yet effective, beautiful yet practical series of materials and curriculum to teach children the basics of computer science – without computers. Our timeless toys recall the nostalgia of ABC Blocks and Lincoln Logs, but teach the fundamentals of Boolean logic, pixel encoding, and binary counting. Developed at the MIT Media Lab and tested in local schools, our Montessori-inspired materials are a tangible way to for young children to engage with the foundations of computer science. Our team has created unique set modules and corresponding curricula for libraries, classrooms, and homes. 

At Learning Beautiful, we envision a future when children are prepared to be creative, inquisitive, and computation-savvy contributors to the digital era. 

In a hyper-saturated and overstimulated market of digital and screen-based toys, our timeless approach to contemporary fluencies is unique. Inspired by the proven-effective results of the Montessori Method, we create tactile materials with a similar approach in order to engage diverse populations of young learners with the basics behind how computers actually work.  

By designing learning materials that do not require digital technology, electricity, or even batteries - we can place these materials in communities where access to such resources is limited. Created from all-natural materials with simple designs, our educational toys could be manufactured in the communities they serve.

At Learning Beautiful, we envision a future when children are prepared to be creative, inquisitive, and computation-savvy contributors to the digital era. We have created a simple yet effective, beautiful yet practical series of materials and curriculum to teach children the basics of computer science – without computers. We believe that all young children should have access to critical education for their futures, and this includes computer science. Through our research, we have found that the fundamental ideas behind how technology works can be effectively introduced to very young children, and without actually using technology.  

We are currently a finalist at MassChallenge Boston, and have been using that opportunity to hone our go-to-market strategy and prototype additional materials. We are currently in production for our first launch of products, which will be sold directly to public libraries and schools, both in the US and abroad. Our goal for the year is to distribute our materials in 200 public libraries and 250 schools. We will continue to develop additional high-quality resources for educators and librarians, which includes detailed lessons, children’s books, and instructional videos.

As we scale in the US (public libraries and schools), we are currently working with an NGO about licensing our designs for developing communities, particularly in India and Africa. Through establishing manufacturing in local communities, we can provide access to this critical education while empowering the local community. By manufacturing in the communities we serve, we can foster the local ecosystem, rather than exploit it.

We have developed 20 individual toys, and continue to develop both physical materials and educator resources for additional concepts and subject areas - all with the intent of providing hands-on playful learning for 21st century skills.

We gathered our first 50 public libraries through awareness of our launch in the Chicago Public Library. We recently presented at the American Library Association annual conference to reach more.

We have presented at the American Montessori Society and work closely with Wildflower Montessori. We hope to reach 250 schools (Montessori first) in the next year, and then target public schools.

Global opportunities will come through partnering with organizations who will license the designs for local production and distribution in schools in need.

We will retain educators by continuing to provide new and relevant learning materials for additional contemporary skills.

We have launched in the Chicago Public Library, which reaches thousands of children every year. Additionally we are in four local schools that serve about 100 children. We currently have 50 libraries signed up for pre-ordering our specially-designed library set; which includes physical materials plus interactive children's books for parents and children as well as detailed lessons developed with librarians. We will continue to target public libraries, and provide scaffolding for both structured and unstructured play, so that librarians can incorporate computational thinking for young children into their libraries through both meaningful unstructured play and easy-to-follow lessons. 

Our goal for the next year is to reach 200 public libraries and 250 schools. Public libraries provide a safe environment for children of diverse backgrounds to access educational resources that they may not otherwise have access to. We believe that placing our materials in public libraries helps educators reach thousands of children with this important knowledge. 

In the next 3 years, we will expand with global markets, providing access to this education with a goal of 2 new countries. We are currently in conversation with partners in India and Africa. 

Kim Smith (MS, MIT; MFA Fine Arts) and Yonatan Cohen (MAUD, Harvard; BArch, Architecture) started Learning Beautiful while researchers at the Social Computing Group in the MIT Media Lab where they developed, prototyped, and researched this project.

Learning Beautiful relies on a network of advisors, mentors, and collaborators such as Sep Kamvar (Google, MIT, Wildflower Montessori) Kari Frentzel and Katelyn Ryan (Wildflower Montessori), and Sanjoy Mahajan (MIT, Olin College), Norbert Chang (entrepreneur), and MIT VMS.

We sell our products direct to our customers. Our products consist of physical toys, and educator resources (lesson plans, guidebooks, online videos). We sell these materials either individually, or as grouped sets. We are currently taking pre-orders and have received $10,000 in only 2 weeks. We have successfully launched with only $20,000 of funding which we received from prizes and grants. We will organically grow from our revenue, as we continue to refine and scale the manufacturing/fulfillment process. Because our company and the vision encompasses more than a single product, we have created the framework to continue to develop and release new materials that empower young children with the skills they need today.

Prize money is incredibly valuable to us because we are bootstrapping, and haven’t taken any investment. Financial assistance will allow us better resources for ensuring the quality and consistency, and safely for the manufacturing process. We are a small team and would like assistance in adding additional people. 

We would really appreciate mentorship with focus on social impact models, and possibly hybrid corporate structures, so that we can scale a business that reaches the most children worldwide.

We face challenges in funding the initial stages of the manufacturing process: industrial prototyping, fabricator set-up costs, safety testing, packaging, manufacturing at small-scale. If we can move forward with this first run, and be successful, we can grow with the revenue generated and continue our reach with economies of scale. As a small team, we could also use assistance in understanding how to strategically use our limited time and resources to maximize our impact.