Night Zookeeper is turning passive engagement with devices into deeper interaction with others and helping over 300,000 children to become better writers, readers and creative thinkers.
Social Purpose
For anyone concerned about the amount of time children spend on their mobile devices, Night Zookeeper has provided a solution that transforms the passive viewing of social media channels into deeper, safer and highly educational online engagement with peers, parents and teachers. Through Night Zookeeper, children improve their literacy through self-expression and creativity. They are encouraged to produce their best writing and fall in love with learning. The eye-catching Night Zookeeper platform rivals any smartphone app, keeping them interested and motivated to learn.
Team
Key to the success of Night Zookeeper is the team behind it. Managing Director and Co-Founder, Joshua Davidson, says that every team member is, “essential to fulfilling the digital vision of the organisation”. The team has been carefully chosen to cover a wide range of aspects to keep children continually engaged: branding, visuals, literacy and pedagogy. “Digital technologies are fantastic but often offer pre-set and limited choices,” says Joshua. “We aim to release the limitless creativity children have within them.”
Joshua left his job working in a large PR agency in 2012 to set up Night Zookeeper with primary school teacher and friend Paul Hutson. He believes the credibility of the team is one of the reasons the organisation has been successful in attracting investment. “We were keen to find people who were motivated by our vision rather than people who could just create the technology. As a result, investors can see we have the right team and are motivated by this,” he says. He also believes that his background of working in the corporate arena gave him the experience to confidently pitch his own ideas.
Impact
“We see ourselves as disruptors in the industry,” says Joshua. “Rather than passively viewing a device, we provide children with an audience and give feedback on their writing. Children can now be part of something far far bigger than they have ever been before.” Night Zookeeper has received case studies from teachers around the world that have demonstrated children making a year’s worth of progress in their writing in a single term, as a result of their enthusiasm for and engagement with the platform.
Growth
Night Zookeeper is now working with Sky to extend its reach and transform the lives of even more children. It will be the first animated children’s series to collaborate with thousands of children on the creation of each episode.
Night Zookeeper has received investment from a number of sources including angel investors, VC Media Partners, London Business Angels, Social Tech Trust and also parents of children using Night Zookeeper. The funding has enabled the team to further develop Night Zookeeper on a global scale, and provide additional ways for children to express themselves creatively in a safe online environment.
Night Zookeeper’s value has doubled in the past year and is positively impacting children and transforming literacy, globally.
Case study published May 2019.