(Header photo credit: documentourdays)

It’s time for the latest Community Spotlight: a showcase of some of the best and most unique servers across Discord.

Every parent knows how children are drawn to technology. They’re growing up in a society defined by computers, a world where every kid dreams of becoming a streamer or making a groundbreaking app. It’s inevitable that they’re going to spend a lot of time around devices. The important thing is helping them get the most out of their natural curiosity and creativity.

Enter Kano, a London-based developer of educational technology. They make computers, peripherals, lessons, and programming kits that let young people master tech skills in fun and intuitive ways. To find out how Discord helps them in their mission of bringing technology to everybody, read on.

Let’s Learn Together

Kano is out to deliver what every parent wants for their kids: “the good kind of screen time.” They offer everything a curious child needs to learn about tech, one lesson at a time, until they’re designing custom apps on a computer they built themselves. That means giving parents access to more than just lesson plans and kits: it means offering them a warm, inviting community to help their family along on its journey.

“We felt inspired by conversations with some of our customers who asked about having a community of parents to chat to about different topics,” said Team Kano. “Also we knew from our user base on Kano Club that some young adults/teens wanted somewhere to chat about the latest Kano had to offer.” After all, no matter the skill level, every engineer or programmer needs someone to bounce their ideas and frustrations off of.

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That meant a place for organic free-flowing conversations, which, for Team Kano, meant Discord. “Most of us had used it before in our personal lives for chatting and gaming with friends, so we knew the interface.” Those less familiar are greeted with several channels explaining the server, its roles, and basic Discord features. No matter what your level of tech expertise, the community is waiting to help you take your first steps.

Sharing Successes

As soon as new users are oriented, they’re met with a well-structured array of channels. Some of these are straightforward, like the ever-inviting general chat, but there’s also a lot of thought that went into structuring channels deeper down the list. In addition to a product feedback channel, there are channels specifically for parents and teachers to introduce themselves, learn how to use the server, and share photos of Kano in action. By offering separate places to talk, Kano not only helps similar users find one another, they get a chance to see how these demographics have different experiences with their products.

Team Kano understands that a community server is very much a two-way street: as you help them, they help you. “For us, our Discord community is our roots. They give us support, they give us advice and they allow us to grow.” Treating user feedback as a way to start a conversation gives them a chance to seize opportunities, fill in gaps, and explore improvements they would have never considered themselves. When a community is thoughtfully organized and maintained, everyone wins.

“Every brand needs a space where their customers and fans can hang out. What I love about Kano is they’ve built a home here for their community to not only talk about Kano products but have conversations around other topics that are relevant to the brand from teacher-tips to parent-101! It allows Kano to be closer to their customer and for customers to feel valued as part of the brand’s phenomenal growth story.”

Amber Atherton, Head of Branded Communities —Discord

Of course, the server isn’t just for talking shop: parents are happy to come by just to celebrate their child’s achievements. The gallery and moodboard are full of photographs of proud young creators, working away on machines they built and put together. Team Kano couldn’t be more thrilled. “We love to see these action shots and often use them on our socials to show off our community!”

Getting Plugged In

All in all, Kano has gotten a lot of good out of the community they’ve created. “We don’t want to be a scary tech brand who doesn’t talk to their customers apart from via a bot. Discord allows us to be that with our customers. Our brand messaging is all about being transparent with technology. Through this transparency, we want to communicate with our audience on a personal level. This is where Discord is perfect.”

The good kind of screen time? Sounds like it to us. If you’re interested in connecting with the Kano community yourself, you can find them here.

Are you a parent or teacher wondering if Discord is a good place for your younger ones? We recommend taking a look at our Safety Center: a centralized home where you can learn about how we think about and prioritize safety, the policies we have in place, and how you can talk about online safety with your teen.