This partnership will also help to support a new generation of innovators, improving children’s computational thinking and encouraging greater creativity.
As a partner, OKdo is committed to supporting The Foundation’s mission by ensuring the production and distribution of micro:bits worldwide and with its extensive global network and marketing capabilities in the education sector, OKdo is seen as playing a pivotal role in driving educational initiatives and expanding access to micro:bit technology.
micro:bits are pocket-sized computers that enable children to gain hands-on understanding of programming, digital creativity and problem-solving. Having been accessed by over 39 million children and distributed over 7.5 million devices since its inception in 2016, the Micro:bit Educational Foundation provides quality educational resources to schools and children around the world.
micro:bit computers are specifically designed for educators and children for use in a classroom setting, prioritising affordability to reach the maximum number of students.
“The Micro:bit Educational Foundation and RS have a long-standing relationship. We are thrilled to be able to lean into RS’ world-class manufacturing operations through OKdo and help extend the reach of micro:bit devices across new countries, delivering more and more micro:bits into the hands of children,” said Gareth Stockdale, CEO at Micro:bit Educational Foundation.
Additionally, the next gen BBC micro:bit campaign that was recently launched will offer a free set of 30 micro:bits to all primary schools across the UK, representing a donation of almost 700,000 devices, part funded by the UK registry, Nominet, alongside free education resources and teacher training.
All primary school teachers can now register on the BBC micro:bit website and will receive a set of devices and a resource pack between September 2023 and March 2024.
"RS’ single board computer division was selected by micro:bit because of OKdo’s manufacturing capability and proactive supply chain. With this partnership, we can now supply micro:bit computers to an entire global customer and reseller base without any delay,” said Sarah Fawcett, Vice President of Operations at OKdo.
