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Microsoft teams with Netflix for Stranger Things coding camps

Microsoft and Netflix have banded together to give students an opportunity to engage in STEM-inspired workshops based on Stranger Things.

Ozzie Mejia

July 8, 2019 9:00 AM

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Over the holiday weekend, Stranger Things took pop culture by storm with its third season debuting on Netflix. Viewers returned to the summer of 1985, striking nostalgia chords across the globe. Among those with a particular affinity for that era is Microsoft, with the company remembering 1985 as its 10th anniversary year. To help celebrate Stranger Things' third season, Microsoft and Netflix announced a special collaboration on Monday for fans and also for young people looking to jump into the world of technology.

On Monday, Microsoft launched the Windows 1.11 app. Inspired by Stranger Things, this features classic Paint and Terminal programs. It also includes Stranger Things puzzles, easter eggs, and other content. Ironically, going back to the past means being connected to the present, so if you're looking to try out Windows 1.11, you'll need to be running Windows 10.

Microsoft is also looking to encourage more young people to get into technology-based fields with two free STEM-inspired workshops, collectively called "Camp Know Where." These coding camps will integrate themes from Stranger Things and its characters into an educational experience. The "Rule the Arcade" workshop will teach young people about MakeCode Arcade, offering the knowledge to create a playable video game. After piecing together their own creation, students will then take a look at the Stranger Things game on Xbox One. The other workshop is "Strange-ify Your World," which will offer to teach attendees more about Windows Mixed Reality. Using Mixed Reality, students can insert themselves into the Stranger Things world and piece together a mini movie set within the show's universe. The mini movie will be constructed with 3D models, Windows Ink, special effects, and a soundtrack.

Students who are at least 13 years of age can register for either of these workshops at their local Microsoft Store or through the Microsoft Store website.

The Microsoft collaboration with Netflix is also extending to Xbox giveaways, which includes a prize package containing a Stranger Things 3 arcade cabinet. For more on this giveaway, be sure to follow Xbox on Twitter or Facebook.

Ozzie Mejia

Senior Editor

Ozzie has been playing video games since picking up his first NES controller at age 5. He has been into games ever since, only briefly stepping away during his college years. But he was pulled back in after spending years in QA circles for both THQ and Activision, mostly spending time helping to push forward the Guitar Hero series at its peak. Ozzie has become a big fan of platformers, puzzle games, shooters, and RPGs, just to name a few genres, but he’s also a huge sucker for anything with a good, compelling narrative behind it. Because what are video games if you can't enjoy a good story with a fresh Cherry Coke?