This website is intended as an educational tool for use mainly in areas where young people do not have frequent contact with minority ethnic groups, focussing on racism and ideas of 'race'. It has been designed with youth in mind and is very user-friendly, using bright colours and animated characters.
The site is based around nine imaginary characters in their mid-teens, from a variety of ethnic backgrounds, and users are invited to 'hang out' with one of these characters. The characters show us their homes, introduce us to members of their families, and tell us about themselves and their lives. If they are religious they give some information about their beliefs, and it is also possible to visit their respective places of worship.
Much of the site, however, consists of arguments and conversations between different members of the 'cast'. They discuss harassment, relationships, the words and 'jokes' they like and don't like, public attitudes about race myths and ideas about the numbers of minorities, myths about 'natural black talent' in sport and music, racism in football, crime, and discrimination. These discussions end either in a quiz, or a 'truth/dare/kiss/promise' option, where they have to engage with the material and give answers that may be factual, moral, or a matter of opinion. There are also contributions from celebrities.
The site can be explored by 'hanging out' with a character and seeing what issues to do with 'race' and culture come up for them (by clicking on one of the character figures and following the resulting path through the site, encouraging the user to identify with a character). Another way of exploring the site is by issue; clicking on the sports centre on the map of ‘Britchester’ brings up information about racism and sport, while clicking on the park brings up discussions on marriage and relationships.
There is also lots of information for teachers on the site surrounding the related issues, including a small selection of lesson plans, which can be printed and photocopied as work sheets and handouts. There is also information on where the site fits into the National Curriculum, and further reading and contact pages.