Information for the media

Overview

OctoStudio is a free coding app that transforms how young people use mobile phones and tablets, enabling them to create their own stories and games anytime, anywhere. Children can take photos and record sounds, bring them to life with coding blocks, and send their projects to friends and family.

While many young people use mobile devices to watch videos and scroll through social media, OctoStudio invites them to use phones and tablets to express themselves creatively—and, in the process, also learn computational and problem-solving skills. 

OctoStudio, which launched on October 24, 2023,  is developed by the Lifelong Kindergarten research group at the MIT Media Lab; the Lifelong Kindergarten group also created Scratch, the world’s most popular coding language for kids. OctoStudio is completely free of charge, without any ads or in-app purchases.

Frequently Asked Questions

Please visit the FAQ section of the OctoStudio website or scroll on the overview section of the project profile on the Media Lab website. 

Images, captions, and license information

Download OctoSudio image files from this public link of the Media Lab's digital asset management system.

Collaborators

Key collaborators:
Brazilian Creative Learning Network; Tinkering Studio at the Exploratorium; Future Lab; Cruzando Fundación; Pratham Shah PraDigi Centre; Creative Communities Group at University of Colorado Boulder

Global educational collaborators:
blackyard; Brazilian Creative Learning Network; Class Act; The Clubhouse Network; Cruzando Fundación; Edukreativos; Faculty of Education, University of Johannesburg; Future Lab; Makerere Innovation Society; MITTA Social Enterprise (Thailand); MTST (Homeless Workers' Movement); Pratham Shah PraDigi Centre; Srishti Manipal Institute of Art, Design, and Technology; Somerville Public Schools; Tacoma Public Libraries

Supporters:
OctoStudio is available for free thanks to donations from our supporters. We are grateful to our founding supporters: LEGO Foundation, Smilegate Foundation, and Little Bluebridge Foundation

Contact information

With questions about OctoStudio, please contact the Media Lab press office at press@media.mit.edu.

Additional video