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Software Safari

We are a mother/daughter engineering team and we make interactive educational apps for kids and their parents!

$896
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Project Description

We make learning apps to inspire curiosity.

Our goal is to fund the final development and release of our latest project - Software Safari - an interactive “choose your own adventure” story about you. In the story, you are a safari explorer who “programs” their way through a safari of discovery.

Mobile devices can open windows of communication for learning, so we want to make exceptional content for parents and their kids to share together.

Understandably, parents are worried that too much screen time is making their kids disconnected - from nature, from their peers, maybe even from their parents. We’re NOT into developing those kinds of apps. Our apps are centered around creative invention and have built-in labs to give parents ideas for activities they can do with their kids. 

We have the skills to make apps.

Jen is the CEO of an energy hardware startup called Tenrehte. Yvette is Jen's mom, and she has over 30 years of programming experience.

With our powers combined - cool apps happen.

We have built two apps already, Nikko & the Spark and Code Jungle. What we’ve heard is that kids love playing games and solving puzzles inside stories. They appreciate context when it comes to solving problems.

One of my favorite responses we have received about Code Jungle, was from one of Yvette's friends who told her “Yvette - I didn’t even realize how bad I was at binary numbers until my daughter showed me with your app that I was wrong. Ha!”

Jen's cousin, Audrey-Anne Bazard, also works with Yvette and Jen as the artist behind the illustrations of the gorgeous app, Nikko & the Spark. You can check out more of Audrey-Anne's incredible work at her online portfolio.

This is one talented family, folks. As a close knit family, we want all parents to feel comfortable interacting with apps with their kids.

Description of the App

Software Safari is a learning app - it’s part interactive eBook, part game - centered on motivating childhood curiosity through creative problem solving. The themes of this book are curiosity, nature, and the power of discovery. 

While the content is created with young readers of 5 years or older in mind, the built-in animations and themes will be enjoyable for software fans of all ages.

Kids of all ages will find the exercises woven into the story engaging. 

At this point, all of the fundamental code structure is complete. We have also begun the work on basic art and writing. We still have to begin the layout and final art.

The interactive eBook app, Software Safari, will be made available for purchase through iTunes, Google Play, and Amazon on May 31, 2017.

Budget

The $5,000 budget for the release of the app including marketing, partnerships, and licensing for all the software needed to publish the app. It will cost us $199 per month to upgrade our current membership with the amazing Corona Labs so we can grow our apps to the size audiences we want to see using them. We also pay yearly developer fees to Apple, Google, and other content distributors so we can continue to sell our apps on their platforms. We aren't looking to get rich off of this app, we want to cover our expenses, and make some great rewards for you. Most importantly,  we need to cover costs so we can devote more time and effort to making great content.

Stretch Goals

We all need to work on our flexibility - especially software programmers - so here are our stetches:

$7000

  • We will write a Parents Guide to complement the workbook and make it available as a (PDF) download.

$10,000

  • If we hit $10K, we will make an upgraded “Explorer’s Journal”, a soft copy (PDF) workbook of exercises with even more labs that will give kids and parents activities to do together, an advanced version of what they will see in Software Safari.

$25,000

  • Upgrades! We’ll make the app available on MacOS for AppleTV

$50,000

  • Round two! If we raise over $50,000, we’ll make a sequel app to Software Safari to be released on all platforms that we support by January 2018.

Updates

The Campaign FAQs

Who are you?

  • We are Jen & Yvette, mother-daughter weekend warrior app development team. We are in the process of making our third app, Software Safari. 

What age group are you targeting?

  • The app is aimed at 4 -7 year olds, but we’re pretty sure kids of all ages are going to enjoy it.

How do parents get to participate?

  • The app contains fun science themed exercises (think back to your days in science lab), that kids can do with parental supervision. The app is also designed to be used as a way for parents and kids to explore ideas together.

When will the app be available on iTunes, Google Play, and Amazon?

  • As mentioned in the video, the story creation and code framework are complete. Artwork and layout are being completed which should be before January, this is when we will prep the app for testing and distribution online. The app will be made available on all supported platforms on May 31, 2017.

Why are you uniquely qualified to do this?

  • In our day jobs, Jen is the CEO of a hardware company and Yvette is a software engineer with over 30 years experience. Oh, and we've made two education apps before, Code Jungle and Nikko & the Spark

Why should you care?

  • Since mobile technology has become such an influential part of the classroom these days, we want to make sure parents and kids are playing with the same tools. Our apps are centered around creative invention and have built-in labs to give parents ideas for activities they can do with their kids. We make real social apps, where parents can participate with their kids in the learning process. 

Where will the business reside? Why is this important for your community?

  • Jen and Yvette live and work in Rochester, NY. Rochester is a family-oriented community, with a great local school system, but all of us can benefit from a little help when it comes to using educational technology with our kids. Audrey-Anne lives and works outside Paris, we definitely won't hold that against her.

How exactly will you use the funding? Be specific.

  • We develop the art, write the story, and code the app, but we need other companies to help us distribute it. The $5,000 budget for the development and release of Software Safari includes software licensing, developer memberships, and marketing required to publish the app on multiple platforms including Apple iTunes, Google Play, and Amazon Marketplace.
12/11/2018
Maker
$10
11/30/2016
Contribute at Any Amount
$100
11/12/2016
Contribute at Any Amount
$35
Karen Cahn
11/07/2016
Contribute at Any Amount
$5
11/05/2016
Believer
$100
11/04/2016
Believer
$100
11/04/2016
Storyteller
$25
11/03/2016
Contribute at Any Amount
$10
11/03/2016
Contribute at Any Amount
$10
11/02/2016
Contribute at Any Amount
$10
Contribute at Any Amount

Thank you so much for your support! Obviously you are tired of seeing your kids playing boring and useless games on their mobile devices. You’ll receive a coupon code for the app, which will eventually retail for $.99 on major app platforms. You’ll also receive special updates on our progress. We couldn’t do this without you.

14 Supporters
Select this reward
10.00 USD
Maker

Not only will you get the app itself that will eventually retail for $.99 on May 31, 2017, but you will also receive a special digital poster of Software Safari art (4K resolution JPEG) made especially for you.

1 Supporter
Select this reward
25.00 USD
Storyteller

You will receive a special edition soft cover Software Safari notebook, because every explorer needs a good field journal. It will come in handy when you're out doing your experiments. (May 2017)

1 Supporter
Select this reward
50.00 USD
Explorer

We will get you the soft cover Software Safari notebook and your name will feature on the “Explorer’s Role” section of the Software Safari app website. (May 2017)

2 Supporters
Select this reward
100.00 USD
Believer

You will receive a soft copy version (PDF) of our Software Safari “Creation Manual”, a working document that helped us craft this interactive story, including original concept sketches and notes from the developers. (May 2017)

2 Supporters
Select this reward
500.00 USD
Code Warrior

Yes, we love to code so much. We also love curious parents and kids that love to explore. We will send you a recording of a digital walk though of the app by the author, Jen. (May 2017)

0 Supporters
Select this reward
1,000.00 USD
Inventor

You really want this app to happen, don’t you? You will receive a recorded digital walk through of the app by Jen. You will also receive a one-of-a-kind piece of art based on one of the Software Safari characters drawn for you especially. You’ll also get a personal “How to Code like a Girl” live Q&A session with the developers, Yvette and Jen.

0 Supporters
Select this reward

About the Entrepreneur

Rochester, NY
Created 1 Campaign
Tech

Rewards

Contribute at Any Amount

Thank you so much for your support! Obviously you are tired of seeing your kids playing boring and useless games on their mobile devices. You’ll receive a coupon code for the app, which will eventually retail for $.99 on major app platforms. You’ll also receive special updates on our progress. We couldn’t do this without you.

14 Supporters
Select this reward
10.00 USD
Maker

Not only will you get the app itself that will eventually retail for $.99 on May 31, 2017, but you will also receive a special digital poster of Software Safari art (4K resolution JPEG) made especially for you.

1 Supporter
Select this reward
25.00 USD
Storyteller

You will receive a special edition soft cover Software Safari notebook, because every explorer needs a good field journal. It will come in handy when you're out doing your experiments. (May 2017)

1 Supporter
Select this reward
50.00 USD
Explorer

We will get you the soft cover Software Safari notebook and your name will feature on the “Explorer’s Role” section of the Software Safari app website. (May 2017)

2 Supporters
Select this reward
100.00 USD
Believer

You will receive a soft copy version (PDF) of our Software Safari “Creation Manual”, a working document that helped us craft this interactive story, including original concept sketches and notes from the developers. (May 2017)

2 Supporters
Select this reward
500.00 USD
Code Warrior

Yes, we love to code so much. We also love curious parents and kids that love to explore. We will send you a recording of a digital walk though of the app by the author, Jen. (May 2017)

0 Supporters
Select this reward
1,000.00 USD
Inventor

You really want this app to happen, don’t you? You will receive a recorded digital walk through of the app by Jen. You will also receive a one-of-a-kind piece of art based on one of the Software Safari characters drawn for you especially. You’ll also get a personal “How to Code like a Girl” live Q&A session with the developers, Yvette and Jen.

0 Supporters
Select this reward