Wikipedia
Whyville is an educational Internet site geared towards children from ages 8–14+ founded and managed by Numedeon Inc. Whyville engages its users in learning about a broad range of topics, including science, business, art and geography. Whyville is extremely popular, and has a registered base of more than 7 million users. Whyville's users (Whyvillians) engage in virtual world simulation based games and role play sponsored by a wide range of governmental, non-profit, and corporate entities.
Whyville was launched in 1999, by Numedeon Inc, which was founded by Dr. James M. Bower, his students and collaborators at the California Institute of Technology, who were interested in whether simulation-based serious gaming could change education, and Whyville's purpose remains primarily educational.
Whyville is regarded as an innovation leader in digital learning and online engagement of children. Contributing to its educational influence, any of Whyville's citizens have stayed active users of the site for many years with significant impact on their lives and careers.