Dan Kohn's Blog

From: https://www.engadget.com/2018/06/26/mattel-barbie-robotics-engineer/

Earlier this year, Mattel announced that it was partnering with Tynker to bring Barbie-themed coding lessons to young kids. As of today, six free coding experiences are now available as is a new STEM-themed doll — Robotics Engineer Barbie. The lessons are geared towards beginners, kindergarten-aged and older, and aim to teach logic, problem-solving and the basics of coding. While they learn, kids can also take on different career roles alongside Barbie, including musician, astronaut, pastry chef, robotics engineer, farmer and beekeeper.

“Our mission is to empower youth to become the makers of tomorrow through coding, and the Barbie brand is an ideal partner to help us introduce programming to a large number of kids in a fun, engaging way,” Tynker CEO Krishna Vedati said in a statement. “It’s critical that all young learners have an opportunity to explore the possibilities available in STEM fields, and Tynker’s Barbie programming experience is a valuable tool to introduce kids of all ages to these concepts while building their coding skills.”

Throughout the year, Mattel will also support the robotic workshops put on by Black Girls Code, debut more Tynker coding lessons and publish a coding e-book for kids.

Robotics Engineer Barbie is available today in four skin tones. You can learn more about Mattel’s coding partnership with Tynker here.