Somerville Public Schools Win the Get Active Coding Challenge with Unruly Studios and Patriots Star Jonathan Jones

News provided by

Feb 01, 2022, 08:42 ET

BOSTON, Feb. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Schools across the country are infusing joy into the classroom with the help of New England Patriots football player Jonathan Jones. The two-time Super Bowl champion partnered with Unruly Studios, a Boston-based education company, to help schools incorporate computer science concepts through physically active games and a national competition.

Jonathan Jones paid a virtual visit to Somerville Public Schools to congratulate the students and teachers on their win on January 26, 2022.

"Unruly Splats are a unique opportunity for kids to get introduced to coding through physical activity, which kids don't get enough of during the school day," said Jonathan Jones. "We need to get kids of all backgrounds in the room building the technology that shapes our future. That's what Unruly Splats are all about."

In December, schools across the country competed in the Jonathan Jones Get Active Coding Challenge using Unruly Splats, programmable floor buttons that students code to light up, make sounds, and collect points when stomped on. Students were able to build and play Jonathan's "Playbook" of games including Race In Place, Relay Races, and the Cornerback Challenge.

The winner of the national challenge was Somerville Public Schools in Massachusetts including the participation of Benjamin Brown Elementary, Winter Hill Community Innovation School, and the John F Kennedy School. The Somerville Public School district stacked up a total of 300,000 stomps – the equivalent of over 50,000 calories burned!

"The Jonathan Jones Get Active Coding Challenge mixed computer science with physical education, inspiring students in new ways we've never seen before," said Laura Peura, Library Media Specialist at Benjamin G. Brown School.

"Unruly Splats help our teachers incorporate coding so that it's not just a one-off lesson, but an ever-evolving component of their curriculum that brings in problem solving, social emotional learning, and of course, active play," added Jason Behrens, Innovation Specialist at Somerville Public Schools.

Two years ago, Somerville became the first school district in the United States to adopt Unruly Splats. Now, Unruly Splats are used in schools across all 50 states in subjects including PE, math, english language arts, and music. Over 60 schools participated in the Get Active Coding Challenge tallying over 2.3 million stomps in just the month of December.

"We're thrilled to see that Somerville Public Schools, one of our earliest school partners, is as enthusiastic as ever about Unruly Splats and the winner of the Get Active Coding Challenge," said Bryanne Leeming, CEO and Founder of Unruly Studios. "Jonathan Jones has been a fantastic partner helping infuse a strong spirit of competition and fun into learning how to code."

To learn more about Unruly Splats, visit www.unrulysplats.com.

About The Jonathan Jones Next Step Foundation
Jonathan Jones, two-time Super Bowl Champion and New England Patriots cornerback, established his nonprofit organization in 2019. The organization's mission is to get kids ready for the future by offering mentoring, coaching, professional development, and educational opportunities. Through the foundation, Jonathan strives to inspire dedication to sports, school, and community for all kids.

About Unruly Studios
Unruly Studios is the creator of Unruly Splats, a cross-curricular computer science education program that combines coding with active-play. Students build their own games with programmable floor buttons that they can code to light up, make sounds, and collect points when stomped on. Unruly Studios' vision is to create an electronic playground that makes learning more playful, collaborative, and inclusive. The team is made up of experts in cognitive science, toy manufacturing, education, and technology who bring broad industry experience from Scratch, Hasbro, Mattel, Nickelodeon, iRobot, Disney, and MIT Media Lab.

Media Contact:
Charlotte Ward
(530) 563-6860
[email protected]

SOURCE Unruly Studios