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Seymour Papert was born and educated in South Africa, where he participated actively in the anti-apartheid movement. Papert pursued mathematical research at Cambridge University from 1954-1958, then worked with Jean Piaget at the University of Geneva from 1958-1963. It was this collaboration with Piaget that led Papert to consider using mathematics in the service of understanding how children learn and think.

In the early 1960's, Dr. Papert came to MIT where, with Marvin Minsky, he founded the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. In 1967, Dr. Papert invented the Logo Computer Language, the first and most important effort to give children control over new technology.

In the 1980's, Dr. Papert defined the theory called Constructionism, based on the work of Jean Piaget, John Dewey and Maria Montessori.

In 1985, Papert helped found the Media Arts and Sciences program at the MIT Media Laboratory. In 1988 he was named LEGO Professor of Learning Research, a chair created for him.

He currently acts as a faculty member for the Epistemology and Learning Group at MIT.