ALPHARETTA, Ga.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The building blocks to success are no longer wooden thanks to a growing collaboration between the City of Alpharetta and tech upstart Kano. Kano is a computing company, known for its award-winning Computer Kit that anyone can make, with simple steps, playful projects and creative tools – for kids of all ages who want to make technology, not just consume it. Kano allows kids to assemble their own computers, by teaching them how each of the computer’s hardware components come together and how it is brought to life through an easy-to-learn coding ecosystem.
“Kano is focused on building confidence in using technology, to equip young people to better contribute in their increasingly digital and connected world,” said Joanna Bersin, Head of Education at Kano. “With the City of Alpharetta and Amana Academy, we’ve been able to develop a program that truly engages students to solve authentic problems in the community.”
The collaboration, two years in the making, began with a beta program at Amana Academy in Alpharetta, GA. Kano worked alongside teachers to help build a curriculum they believe can be duplicated in other schools across the city of Alpharetta. Principal Cherisse Campbell believes this initiative aligns with the goals of Amana Academy. “Our mission is to teach students they can do more than what is possible and become active contributors to building a better world, and Kano completely aligns with that vision,” Campbell said.
Alpharetta’s goal is to implement programs for students that showcase the benefits of tech and how it enriches learning on all fronts. “Kano computers are used across the curriculum in Alpharetta," said Alex Klein, the Co-Founder and CEO of Kano. “We use computational methods and computational thinking to deliver other lessons as well like English, math and history.”
According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) workers drive our nation’s innovation and competitiveness by generating new ideas, new companies and new industries. STEM workers play a key role in the sustained growth and stability of the U.S. economy, a role that will be even more critical in the future.
The City of Alpharetta was named the global launch city for this initiative and is looking to expand the program to schools across the city.
About Kano
Kano is a London-based company that empowers people of all ages to make, learn and play with computing, with its system of kits and open coding platform. Its first “computer anyone can make” has shipped to 86 countries around the world to people, ages 6 to 81, who have used it to make PCs, screens, radios, artwork, music, games, Minecraft hacks and more. More than 19 million lines of code have been shared in its online community, Kano World, where anyone can try out Kano’s apps for free. Kano was founded by Alex Klein, Yonatan Raz-Fridman and Saul Klein and has raised $19 million in funding, from its initial record-breaking Kickstarter campaign to investors that include Jim Breyer, Marc Benioff, Martin Sorrell, Index Ventures, James Higa, Troy Carter and Shana Fisher, among others. To learn more about Kano, please visit: http://kano.me.
About the City of Alpharetta
Alpharetta is a community on the move with all the attractions and success of a thriving metropolitan city. With a population of approximately 65,000 residents, Alpharetta is Georgia’s 12th largest city, boasts some of the best schools in the United States and is known as the Technology City of the South due to the impressive number of tech-focused companies that call the city home. Still, Alpharetta remains known for its sense of community; an ideal environment for raising families; making friends; and enjoying a quality of life that is second to none.
