6 February, 2024: Girls tend to lose interest in science and IT already during middle school. Now, Netcompany and Google Denmark have developed the first non-profit, learning-based universe in the popular online game Roblox. The goal is to whet girls’ appetite for science and technology so that more will choose to follow that path later in life.
New online game by Netcompany and Google Denmark aims to inspire girls for a future in tech
Watch the Glampus High release trailer
A new learning experience in STEM
Today, girls around the world will get the opportunity to enter ‘Glampus High’ for the first time. It’s a brand-new universe, aimed at middle school girls, within the popular online game Roblox, where the kids can build characters and interact with each other while learning some crucial skills along the way.
Netcompany and Google Denmark have teamed up to develop the new Roblox universe as a response to a growing problem in the global labor market. Namely the gender-based inequality in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and math, also known as STEM.
Research shows that in elementary school, girls and boys are equally interested in STEM subjects. But girls tend to lose interest during middle school, partly due to a lack of social leisure activities that keep the interest alive. As a consequence, only 27 percent of jobs in STEM - which are absolutely key to the future labor market - are currently occupied by women.
Roblox has more than 50 million daily users globally, and roughly half of them are girls. Thus, the initiative is about meeting the girls on one of their favorite platforms and designing gaming activities that gradually introduce them to several different concrete scientific disciplines, such as coding or engineering.
The ambition with ‘Glampus High’ is to be entertaining and educational at the same time and thus maintain or increase the girls’ interest in STEM subjects – with the hope that more of them will choose that path later in life.
Better utilization of screen time
The universe should also contribute to the children’s screen time not being spent exclusively on mindless scrolling, but instead becoming an active tool in their general education. On top of that, they can also use the game’s characters to build an identity for themselves that can be shared with their friends
»Childrens’ screen time is at the top of the political agenda, and it is important for us to show how active screen time can be used as a powerful and social tool in childrens’ education. We know that many girls lose confidence in math and science subjects in middle school, and it’s important to catch them before that happens«, says Netcompany’s CCO, Le Gammeltoft.
The plan is for the Roblox universe to continuously expand with new games and activities so that the girls’ interest is maintained over a longer period.
»The lack of women in STEM is a huge problem. Not only for the women themselves, who miss out on an entry ticket to interesting jobs with good future prospects, but also for the businesses and ultimately Denmark’s competitiveness, which suffers from a lack of diversity. We are now trying to crack that nut by reaching the girls early – while the natural interest is still intact,« says Bianca Bruhn, Country Manager for Google Denmark.
The new Roblox universe is developed on a non-profit basis, so advertising and micro-transactions are not part of the game. All rewards are obtained through completing the various activities in the universe.
Contact
Netcompany: David Tarp, Head of PR and Public Affairs, dtarp@netcompany.com // +45 24852453,
Google: Jesper Vangkilde, kommunikationschef, vangkilde@google.com // +45 22575955
About Roblox
Roblox is a free online computer game, the majority of which is built by the players themselves
There are over 50 million user-created games and experiences available
Approximately 45 percent of the 54 million daily users are women
Roblox is dominated by young users. 60% of users are under the age of 16
