Dr. Outi Kaarina Laiti is a Sámi game researcher and designer. She is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Helsinki, focusing on the intersection of education, computer science, and Sámi culture in video games and programming. Laiti promotes Sámi game developers and has coached an elderly eSports team. She was recognized as one of gamesindustry.biz’s 100 Game Changers in 2020 for her efforts to increase accessibility in the industry. Laiti has actively organized game development events in the Sámi homeland, Sápmi, and co-created Saami Game Jams to encourage Indigenous innovation and cultural representation in gaming. Her doctoral thesis “Old Ways of Knowing, New Ways of Playing” published in January 2021, discusses the potential of collaborative game design to empower Indigenous Sámi.
2021 University of Lapland: PhD (Education)
2016 University of Lapland: Master’s degree in Media Education
2008 South-Carelia Polytechnic: Bachelor of Engineering Degree programme in Information Technology Specialization of Media Technology
2019 The Finnish Esports Federation (SEUL): Mental coaching in Esports and the basics of Esports coaching
2019 Oulu University of Applied Sciences: Vocational and higher education teacher training (60 ects).
2021 NOMINEE Junior Researcher award (Doctoral Thesis of the Year), University of Lapland
2020 GLOBAL GAME CHANGER gamesindustry.biz GI100 list member
2018 STATUS POSITION in Culture-Based Service Design Doctoral Programme, University of Lapland
2018 NOMINEE The Game Educator of the year (FIN): Sami Game Jam
2017 NOMINEE: Rajapinta Pro Gradu awards: ”Ethnoprogramming : an indigenous approach to computer programming : a case study in Ohcejohka area comprehensive schools”
2021-2023 Skins workshops, Sápmi edition. Organizing a workshop series in collaboration with Skins workshops and Utsjoki municipality. The project was funded by the Embassy of the United States in Finland.
2017-2022 Municipality of Utsjoki: Davvenásti Movie Theater. Running the Northernmost cinema in Finland and EU.
2019 Senior CS team coach. Coaching Finnish senior eSports team. Players’ age range 50-76 years.
2019 Sámi parliament: Games for Sámi Children project. Consultant of games and Sámi pedagogy.
02/2018 Sami Game Jam. Co-organizing the northernmost, partly Indigenous game jam in Finland with Finnish Game Jam organization.
2/2018 Lost Memories VR (game). Co-designer and cultural consultant.
9/2017 Pedar Jalvi Game Demo. Cultural consultant and Sámi pedagogy expert.
2016-2017 Sámi Parliament: Digital learning materials workgroup. A specialist member.