Joanna Smith: Supporting School Attendance through AI Virtual Advisors

Mar 18, 2021 Posted by: Jill Jha Boston,  Joanna Smith,  SDG 4,  USA

Joanna: Did you know that more than eight million students in America don't attend school regularly? These numbers have skyrocketed to 36 million with the impact of COVID-19. Innovative, novel and evidence-based solutions for addressing the issue of attendance are almost nonexistent, despite the fact that this leads to learning loss, school dropout, and social inequality. AllHere is fostering student success and attendance using mobile messaging powered by artificial intelligence. We develop AI-Powered Virtual Advisors (AVA) that support students and families on the path to and through school and provide 24/7 impactful support that is proven to help K12 students get—and stay—on a path to graduation.

Francesco Polizzi: A Successful Equation to Tutor Students in Math

Mar 15, 2021 Posted by: Jill Jha Francesco Polizzi,  SDG 4,  USA

Francesco: The inequality that exists, in regards to access to educational resources, is often driven by income, and the COVID-19 epidemic has only made this issue worse. In fact, during the rise of remote learning during the pandemic, 56% of parents reported being unable to help their children with math, with clear disparities between households that can afford to hire a tutor versus those who can't. It's more important now than ever for students to have the tools they need to support learning— both inside and outside of the classroom—regardless of their economic status.

Namya Mahajan: Propelling Early Childhood Care and Education through Rocket Learning

Mar 12, 2021 Posted by: Jill Jha India,  Namya Mahajan,  SDG 4,  USA

Namya: Early childhood care and education (ECCE) is one of the “greatest and most powerful equalizers” according to India's National Education Policy. More than 90% of brain development occurs by this age, and research from all over the world shows that access to better ECCE is related to lower rates of dropout from school, increased earning potential, and better life outcomes. However, low-income children in India don't have access to any sort of ECCE, either through institutions or through their parents at home. Our work at Rocket Learning addresses this education gap by helping parents better support their children at home through age-appropriate learning, nudges, and reminders.