Children are visiting the zoo, the library and city park while learning to read, but never leaving their computers, through KidsTown, a website produced by CU-Denver's computer science department and the Tattered Cover Book Store. The department and the Tattered Cover collaborated through the Tattered Cover Children's Literacy Project to produce KidsTown. The site was designed to engage children so they would want to learn, said Dr. Jody Paul, assistant professor of computer science and engineering, who directed the project.

When children connect to the website, KidsTown opens with a "Welcome to KidsTown." Through colorful graphics, browsers visit city hall, the zoo and the library. In visiting city hall, children assist the famous crime stopper Detective Anders in solving two cases, "The Case of the Alien Photo" and "The Bungled Bank Burglary." At the zoo, children find information on animals grouped by where they live. The library webpage uses maps to direct viewers to different states. By clicking on Colorado, for example, browsers find geographical, historical and other facts, such as the state bird, tree and song.

Students in the Senior Design course in computer science and engineering conceived, designed and developed KidsTown with the Tattered Cover. The course represents the capstone experience in the bachelor of science in computer science and engineering degree program, applying academic learning to the creation of practical products. As Dr. John Clark, director of CU-Denver's Millennium College and a faculty participant in the project, said, KidsTown "fits ideally with the new urban mission of the University."

KidsTown was designed for children with upper-elementary school reading ability and with attention to the new literacy standards adopted by the State of Colorado and used by Denver Public Schools, Dr. Paul said. The site is now available to children in Denver and around the world through the Internet at http://kidstown.mine.nu