Yekamaka is not only a creative universe – it is a science-informed, evidence-seeking project. Everything we build is designed to be emotionally safe, developmentally appropriate, and truly transformative for children, families, and educators.
Science-Grounded by Design
Yekamaka is built on:
- Cognitive science
- Developmental psychology
- Neuroscience and neuroplasticity
- Emotional and social neuroscience
- Learning and attention research
- Modern dramaturgy and story psychology
Threads, realms, characters, and magical objects are metaphors for real psychological and brain processes. Nothing is random: every story, game, course, AI agent, and product is intentionally designed to support:
- Emotional development
- Cognitive growth
- Meaning-making
- Attention and engagement
- Healthy decision-making
- Creativity and curiosity
What We Study
We continuously explore questions such as:
- How do Yekamaka stories affect children’s emotional awareness and vocabulary?
- Do kids who engage with Yekamaka show increased creativity, curiosity, and resilience over time?
- How do families use Yekamaka tools in everyday life (stories, games, conversations, problem-solving)?
- How can AI agents and digital tools support healthy, human-centered growth instead of replacing real connection?
- Which formats (books, games, videos, courses, learning centers) work best for different ages and learning styles?
Applied Research for Real-World Systems
Beyond the storyworld, we explore research-based strategies and solutions for:
- Families and neighborhoods
- Schools and local communities
- Governments and public spaces
- Businesses and organizations
This includes work with:
- Kid-friendly hotels
- Kid-friendly communities and destinations
- Family-focused services and experiences
- Public projects and child-centered community design
Our applied research is aimed at:
- Improving business and organizational effectiveness
- Helping destinations and services attract and truly support families
- And most importantly, improving children’s well-being and daily experience
How We Work: Methods and Experiments
To understand what truly works in the real world, we:
- Conduct experiments and pilot programs
- Run surveys with parents, teachers, residents, and children
- Hold interviews and listening sessions with families and local stakeholders
- Create panels of families to test new ideas, tools, spaces, and experiences
- Collect stories, observations, and feedback from everyday life
This ongoing cycle of testing, learning, and refining helps us design solutions that are both inspiring in fiction and effective in reality.
Measuring Impact
We are building a clear and evolving impact framework that looks at:
- Emotional growth: empathy, regulation, self-awareness, confidence
- Creativity and problem-solving: new ideas, projects, and creations by kids
- Family engagement: shared activities, conversations, and rituals inspired by Yekamaka
- Educational outcomes: reading, storytelling, attention, perseverance, collaboration
Over time, this can include:
- Pilots in schools, learning centers, and communities
- Feedback cycles with parents, teachers, psychologists, and children
- Long-term tracking of how children grow with the universe
- Comparison of different tools (books, games, AI agents, in-person programs, and environments)
Co-Creation as Research
Children are not just “subjects” of research in Yekamaka – they are co-creators.
Every time a child:
- Designs a creature or realm
- Submits a story or drawing
- Plays a game and gives feedback
- Suggests a new rule, character, or idea
…they help us understand what engages them, what supports their growth, and what kind of world they want to live in. This ongoing flow of ideas and reactions is a living research process that shapes the universe.
Ethics, Safety, and Responsibility
All research and data-related work in Yekamaka is guided by clear principles:
- Emotional safety and psychological well-being come first
- No harmful content, no trauma-based storytelling, no manipulation
- Respect for privacy and data protection
- Inclusion, multicultural representation, and non-stereotypical characters
- Age-appropriate design for all experiences and tools
We are transparent with families and partners about what we measure, why we measure it, and how results are used to improve both the universe and real-world systems around children.
Partnerships and Collaboration
We welcome collaboration with:
- Researchers in education, psychology, neuroscience, and urban design
- Universities and research labs
- Schools and learning centers
- Cities, communities, and family-focused organizations
- Businesses, hotels, and destinations that want to become truly kid-friendly
Our vision is to make Yekamaka a model of evidence-based, child-led, story-driven learning and design — and to share what we learn so others can build better worlds, services, and places for children and families.