NewTechKids is super happy to announce that Linda Liukas, author of the wildly-popular coding book for children called ‘Hello Ruby’, has joined our advisory board.

Linda is a Finnish computer programmer, children’s book writer and programming instructor. In 2014, ‘Hello Ruby’ raised $380,000 on Kickstarter, becoming the platform’s most highly- funded children’s book. Her book is the world’s most whimsical way to learn about technology, computing and coding.

Linda co-founded Rails Girls, a site designed to help women learn basic programming. Thanks to her involvement, the approach has become a worldwide success, leading to workshops in over 160 cities. Liukas also works with the online training platform Codecademy which provides courses free of charge. In 2013, the European Commission gave Linda Liukas the title of “Digital Champion of Finland”. Watch her TED Talk.

Linda, in her own words:

How are you contributing to the expansion of technology education for children?

Linda: I’m a children’s book author who tries to imagine what a totally new type of crafty & creative computing curriculum should look like, through the eyes of my protagonist, six-year old Ruby.

Why have you decided to become a NewTechKids’ advisor?

I really like the combination of hands-on exploration with technology, combined with the pedagogical insights and strong focus on context and phenomenons of the world. And, well, both Deborah & Marja-Ilona are just super inspiring to work with!