Whyville is Seriously Fun! © 2008 Numedeon, Inc..

Whyville is Seriously Fun!

© 2008 Numedeon, Inc.

© 2008 Numedeon, Inc.

Why Whyville?

Whyville is a vibrant, kid-safe, immersive, online destination where over 6.7 million “tweens” live a dynamic virtual life through their avatar.

The hands-on, inquiry-based nature of Whyville enables the Foundation to teach kids about the benefits of biomedical research in a creative, fun way.

Whyville’s customized interactive activities allow the Foundation to expand beyond traditional outreach efforts like posters and brochures.

Exposing kids to engaging educational activities can substantially shape opinions and influence future career choices.

Whyville works with sponsors like the AALAS Foundation to bring dynamic educational content to kids.

© 2008 Numedeon, Inc.

Whyville Fast Facts

6.7 million registered users

2 million monthly visits

About 60,000 new boys and girls register as citizens each month.

On average, citizens spends more than 30+ minutes per visit in Whyville.

Average monthly time spent per user: 3.1 hours

More girls, but lots of boys (70%-30%)

Parents, grandparents and teachers comprise 10% of users

The Foundation is leveraging the power of Whyville to develop a series of fun, educational activities in a virtual laboratory

© 2008 Numedeon, Inc.

Praise For Whyville

“Whyville has managed to do the impossible – generate massive interest in science among adolescent girls.”-Christian Science Monitor

““Whyville's great, and safe. It helped me realize what I want to do when I grow up, and the games are really, really fun.”- Sims2girl, Whyville Citizen

Whyville users spend an average of 30+ minutes per visit, ranking Whyville #1 among educational web sites for kids- ComScore

“Whyville supports the use of computers by kids the way that scientists use computers: for data collection, data visualization, simulation and modeling, and scientific communication. - Wendy Li, 6th grade teacher

“My daughter has benefited enormously from her citizenship in Whyville and I have directly observed the effects of your efforts in her growth and development.- Father of CatGirl

© 2008 Numedeon, Inc.

AALAS Foundation in Whyville

The AALAS Foundation worked with Whyville to create three customized games to teach citizens about the essential role of animals in biomedical research.

© 2008 Numedeon, Inc.

Habitat Preparation Game

Citizens compete against one another to build animal habitats

Goal is to create as many habitats in the time allotted to earn “clams”

A good introduction to the topic of laboratory animal science

© 2008 Numedeon, Inc.

Critter Care Game

Citizens take on role of animal caretakers in a research facility and earn clams for keeping animals healthy

© 2008 Numedeon, Inc.

Critter Care Game

Kids are responsible for feeding, cleaning, weighing and evaluating the health of laboratory animals.

Citizens become certified animal caretakers after successfully caring for each animal three times.

© 2008 Numedeon, Inc.

Critter Care Game

Kids are provided immediate feedback as to whether they provided each animal with the proper care

© 2008 Numedeon, Inc.

AALAS Solitaire

Citizens match a series of cards to link biomedical research to treatments and cures developed for life-threatening ailments

© 2008 Numedeon, Inc.

Informational Brochures

The lobby and each game contains brochures to provide kids with more information about laboratory animal science

The brochures link to existing Foundation resources like the Kids 4 Research web site and Careers in Laboratory Animal Science video.

© 2008 Numedeon, Inc.

Survey Capabilities

Whyville collects data on total number of users who play our games, total hours involved, and depth of involvement.

In addition, we can conduct surveys of Whyville users, both before and after they participate in our games, to quantify the educational benefits of our activities.

Our ability to continuously measure the success of this outreach effort is a key reason why the partnership with Whyville is so appealing.

Do you like science?a) Science is awesome! It's my favorite subject! b) It's okay, but I like other subjects better. c) Ick! I can't stand science! d) I'm not sure/I haven't had science.  

Animal research is necessary to develop cures and treatments for diseases that impact people and animals.a) Strongly Agree b) Agree c) Not Sure/No Opinion d) Disagree e) Strongly Disagree

© 2008 Numedeon, Inc.

Why is Public Outreach Important?

The future of laboratory animal science depends on public acceptance of animal research.

Without public support, our industry will no longer have the necessary political, legal or financial support to continue.

AALAS Foundation Goals

Further public understanding, respect and support for the life sciences

Educate current and future leaders about the essential role of animals in biomedical research

Maintain a pipeline of passionate, talented individuals pursuing careers in laboratory animal science

© 2008 Numedeon, Inc.

What Challenges Do We Face?

Declining Student Interest in Science Research pinpoints the middle school years as a time when students, especially girls, lose interest in science

Public Opinion Disconnect 93% of scientists favor the use of animals in research 52% of the public supports the use of animals in research

Animal Rights Activists Well-funded animal rights extremists are targeting children to perpetuate their destructive message that animal research is unnecessary, invalid, and cruel.

Whyville is a powerful tool the Foundation can use to promote public understanding, respect and support for the life sciences.

© 2008 Numedeon, Inc.

How Can You Help?

The AALAS Foundation relies on your support to launch important public outreach programs like Whyville.

To make a tax-deductible donation to the AALAS Foundation, please visit the Ways to Give page on the Foundation web site.

Founded in 1999, the AALAS Foundation supports educational outreach on the essential role of responsible laboratory animal care and use in science to advance human and animal health.

The Foundation develops educational materials, web-based public information resources, and training to help educate the public, students, and government officials about the importance of quality laboratory animal care, research, and medicine.

It’s Not a Donation. It’s an Investment in you future!

© 2008 Numedeon, Inc.

Whyville Development Team

A big thank you goes out to Dennis Brown, Cindy Pekow and Bob Jackson for volunteering their time and expertise to make this project a reality.

© 2008 Numedeon, Inc.

Individual Tours

Mike MathyFoundation AdministratorAALAS Foundation9190 Crestwyn Hills DriveMemphis, TN 38125(901) [email protected]

To arrange an individual tour of Whyville, please contact: