Yasmin Kafai

Yasmin Kafai is Professor of Learning Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania. She is a researcher and co-developer of online tools and communities (scratch.mit.edu, stitchtfest.org, and ecrafting.org) to promote computational participation, crafting, and creativity across K-16. Her recent books include Connected Code: Why Children Need to Learn Programming and Connected Play: Tweens in a Virtual World. She co-authored the 2010 National Educational Technology Plan for the U.S. Department of Education and contributed to the National Research Council workshop series “Computational Thinking for Everyone.” She has been recognized by the City of Los Angeles for her mentoring partnership initiatives. Kafai earned a doctorate from Harvard University while working with Seymour Papert at the MIT Media Lab. She is an elected Fellow of the American Educational Research Association and past President of the International Society for the Learning Sciences.