13 Today!

I’M OFFICIALLY NOW A TEENAGER . . . ANIMATE 2 EDUCATE IS 13 TODAY!!! It’s hard to believe that 13 years have passed since my very first day as Animate 2 Educate on 9th March 2012—creating stop-motion animations with plasticine Olympic mascots ahead of London 2012 in Hannah Clarke’s Year 6 class. What a journey it has been! Over the years, I’ve had to pinch myself countless times as I reflect on how much Animate 2 Educate has grown and evolved. From working in schools and speaking at events across the world to bouncing back from a global pandemic, it has been an incredible ride. I’m immensely proud of what started as a simple idea and recently celebrated a huge milestone—working with my 1,000th different school! None of this would have been possible without the incredible support of so many people over the past 13 years. While I may have the ideas, it’s the schools, educators, and companies who welcome me into their communities that make this journey possible. I am truly grateful to every single person who has been part of it. There are plenty of exciting things on the horizon, and with a new National Curriculum on the way, I look forward to continuing to support schools in the teaching of Computing, maximising the use of technology for learning, and bringing the curriculum to life. Here’s to the next 13 years—though it’s a little scary to think that by then, I’ll be 60!