The Academy’s guide
Hush: the plush robot who waits until it works
Hush is the Academy’s guide. Not a know-it-all and not a coach. He’s soft on the outside because there’s code inside — and he doesn’t hide it: point the lens at him on the home page.
Who he is
A plush robot with a warm, glowing heart. He lives in the Academy while it’s being built and makes sure everything is ready by the first of January. He greets you by time of day, gets distracted, stretches, sits down when nobody is doing anything. He speaks — 71 lines in English and as many in Russian, in the same voice. He reacts to a click, a key, a code run in the laptop on the screen.
Who he was meant to be
We spent a long time working out who should greet a child at the Academy. Not someone who does things for them — someone beside them. Hush explains, asks a question back and waits. He doesn’t grade and doesn’t rush: when something isn’t working, he crouches to the child’s height and stays until it does. In the labs he’ll get a smart part — an assistant that answers “why?”, hints where to look, and teaches how to check an answer, including its own.
How he’s made
The character combines prepared images and movement scripts. His voice comes from pre-made audio files; the page does not synthesise speech. Clicks and learning events select an appropriate reaction. We share development details in our build log.
Chess
Hush has a neighbour: Chess, the cat from WHY2SPEAK, the Academy’s English branch. He appears when you speak English, and on the home page he lies on the menu ledge. Hush doesn’t know yet that Chess speaks English. Let it be a surprise.
Frequently asked questions
Is Hush an AI?
Hush on this site follows a script with prepared lines and reactions. A generative AI assistant is still in development. Answers, boundaries and parental controls need testing before child accounts are connected.
Can I buy a plush Hush?
Not yet. If you ask about it in the channel, we’ll remember.
Why is he silent when I open the page?
The browser doesn’t play sound without your permission. Press “sound” in the menu — and Hush will speak.
Opening on 1 January 2027. Routes for ages 7–9, 10–12 and 13–15 are in development. Try a first exercise without registering.