In partnership with the non-profit organization Institute of Play, Nintendo is bringing Nintendo Labo to classrooms in the U.S. to encourage creative new ways of exploring STEAM concepts.
Around 2000 students in 100 schools will get access to the kits, and the Institute of Play is creating a guide to assist teachers in integrating Nintendo Labo into their lesson plans. According to Institute of Play’s co-executive director Arana Shapiro, the goal for the guide is to teach instructors how to naturally include the kits into their lessons, while allowing them to explore various avenues and possibilities with Labo.
The program is currently in a pilot phase and Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aimé has said it’s meant to be “as turn-key as possible, to reach as many potential educators and as many potential students as possible.” Meanwhile, Shapiro said the pilot phase is going well: “Immediately kids are excited and engaged and ready to go […] The kids are all-in at the beginning, but the adults have a healthy amount of skepticism, and by the end they’re really excited about what they can do when we’re not there anymore.”
The teaching guide will be available to everyone later this fall. A similar program is happening in Canada, where Nintendo is partnering with Actua to bring Nintendo Labo to Canadian students, and Nintendo also held a series of workshops for kids in the U.S. back in September.
Based on their continued focus on learning, it is clear that Nintendo see the Labo kits as more than just toys.
Source: Siliconera