Katapult is the latest start-up incubated at the Turbine. Aiming to promote learning in robotics and coding, Jade Li is focusing on the fun side. The young Mauritian start-up finds that there should be more of a culture of innovation in Mauritius. It was while looking at the country’s education system that he came up with the idea of launching Katapult to encourage young people to take an interest in the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) stream.
Create solutions to solve problems
Most recently, she was ranked in Total’s Top 15 Startuppers of the Year. Defining herself as a “creator”, Jade Li likes to create solutions to solve problems. Since she was a little girl, she has loved making things with her little hands. So, once at university, it seemed only natural that he should join the faculty of engineering. According to her, her role was to solve problems and meet challenges. After studying Bioengineering at Imperial College London, she started her career in the medical device industry in Mauritius.
Stimulating interest in innovation with Katapult
The idea of creating Katapult came to him after a sad observation on the culture of innovation in Mauritius. Indeed, once in the workplace, she says she realized that many people were not enthusiastic about change. Faced with her natural need to solve equations, she began to wonder how to give back to adults this curiosity lost in childhood. But above all, how to integrate this culture of innovation into Mauritian society? That’s where it all started.
Workshops based on a playful learning style
First, the founder of Katapult looked at the Mauritian education system. She believes that the 1:40 teacher-student ratio prevents children from learning properly. This makes it impossible to give them all the individual attention they need. In fact, Jade Li believes that innovation starts in the game room. Indeed, it would be a good start to get children interested and curious about innovative ideas. The primary objective of Katapult is to turn them into carriers of ideas and agents of change. To this end, workshops are set up, based on a playful learning method.
Robotics and coding made fun
Indeed, Katapult’s mission is to provide children with fun experiences in robotics and coding. In addition, the idea is to develop their computer reasoning. Above all, it should show them that they have the ability to change the world. Thus, they are encouraged to take STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics). All this, of course, using a fun learning method to capture their interest. For example, they can learn about electricity using play dough, batteries, LEDs and buzzers. As for robotics, it is made more accessible to children through board gaming.
Who is Katapult for?
As there is no age limit for learning, Katapult is designed for people from 7 to 18 years old. Besides, Katapult’s motto is to learn by playing and creating. To this end, the workshops are made as interactive as possible. Through games and stories, participants are encouraged to express their curiosity and creativity. In addition, they can also test any ideas that come to them.
