The Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences (OST), University of Teacher Education Lucerne and UNICEF Switzerland and Liechtenstein have launched the Kidimo app, which teaches children about their rights. Children can play a game to learn about their rights under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, with a choice of three Swiss languages – German, French and Italian.
As the project team explains in a press release, the app focuses on rights of protection, support and participation. To help explore the issues, children design their own character and give them a name. They then move their avatar through everyday scenarios and solve problems that relate to children’s rights – including basic needs, rights in the event of separation or divorce, and the right to participation. If the child encounters difficulty during the simulated incident, they learn where they can find help and information in that specific situation. The app includes a range of supporting materials that enable it to be used by schools, public organizations working with children and young people, and in the child protection sphere.
“The game teaches children about their rights and action they can take, which they can then discuss and reflect on with adults,” says Selina Ingold, co-project manager and professor at the Institute of Innovation, Design and Engineering at the OST. According to the team that launched the app, children aged 7 to 13 put forward their requests and suggestions during the 30-month development phase, and 60 professionals from a range of fields also made contributions.
