BlocksCAD

BlocksCAD, block-based coding platform & curriculum, helps students develop a computational & mathematical mindset at a young age.

Schools are not sufficiently teaching higher order thinking, which our future economy demands. Most students, especially girls, are not developing coding and math skills at an early enough age, and thus, are not advancing their STEM skills in high school and beyond. One of the root causes is educators lack the software and support they need to connect existing, standards-based, curriculum to computer science and computational thinking concepts. As a result, computer science in schools is left to clubs, events such as hour of code, well-funded communities, or paid after school experiences.

The BlocksCAD vision is to help all students learn these valuable skills by providing software and curriculum to teachers that addresses computer science in the context of existing math & science standard. Through the vehicle of existing course structures we are reaching many more students.

So what is BlocksCAD?: BlocksCAD is an easy to use, yet robust, blocks-based, programmatic, computer aided design tool specifically designed for education. Students as young as eight write code to create their own designs that can be fabricated on any 3D printer or used in an AR/VR environment. BlocksCAD helps develop higher order computational thinking at a younger age so students are prepared for more advanced concepts and technologies in late middle school & high school. Learning is enhanced through the visual CAD experience. Through these experiences at a young age, students are developing an intuitive sense of foundational computer science concepts. In classrooms around the country, teachers have observed that many students who learn with BlocksCAD develop improved attitudes towards and performance in math, engineering, and computational thinking.

BlocksCAD is helping change the world because we are reaching many more students within the existing constraints of standards-based education. During the 2017-2018 school year we reached almost 200,000 students, including students in rural Ohio, the poorest areas of Colombia, and coding clubs in the UK. To date, 49% of our users are from outside of the US. While technology is making the world a better place, we also see the rapidly accelerating divide between those with technical skills and those without. We want all students, anywhere in the world, regardless of gender, to have the opportunity to access technical skills enabling them to choose a career in a STEM related field.

The existing structure for technical & computer science education is largely ad hoc through electives, events, afterschool programs, and short technology classes. BlocksCAD’s helps schools address computer science and math concepts simultaneously, beginning at the age of eight. This means that a traditional math or elementary teacher can embed the computer science concepts in the context of existing curriculum, allowing these critical concepts to be taught with regularity, throughout the school year, and over several school years. We believe this consistent reinforcement will help students to build a more innate computational mindset.

BlocksCAD is a block-based coding platform and curriculum available online and accessible using any modern web browser, including chromebooks and iPads. It is available to any student in the world through a single click on our website. Designs can be viewed in 2D, printed using a 3D printer, or experienced using a mixed/AR/VR device.

1. Curriculum Development: Our vision to connect CS to math curriculum is only partially realized. We want to create more teacher and student experiences that enhance student learning. This curriculum is largely built by contracting current teachers.

2. Reach: Through partnerships with US school districts and international resellers we want to expand our reach to over a million students this year.

1. Increase Access: While BlocksCAD is currently available in eight languages, we want to localize our platform, teacher professional development, and curriculum resources (currently in english).

2. Demonstrate Development of Computational Thinking: We are already laying the groundwork with TERC to understand how BlocksCAD can be used to develop and measure computational thinking. Within three years we will have these results, which will help us meet the evidence requirements of many education institutions.

BlocksCAD is a cloud based software program that is accessible to anyone with internet access (it does not require persistent or high quality access).  BlocksCAD works on any modern browser. BlocksCAD can be used on any laptop or computer as well as Chromebooks and iPads which allows the vast majority of students with access to computing devices, access to our product.

BlocksCAD has over 150,000 users of which 8% self identify as teachers, and 78% self identify as students.  We currently work with over 50 schools who are either customers of BlocksCAD or are in pilot programs. We recruit teachers and schools interested in improving student learning in the areas of math and coding.  Our student users have created over 195,000 unique projects that reflect an application of math and computational thinking skills as expressed in their unique 3D models

Through our planned growth efforts we plan to reach a million students during the 2018-2019 school year. We will increase the depth of our engagement through additional math focused curriculum and programming block..  In three years we expect to be serving 10 million learners in 3-8 grades worldwide. Through their engagement in a BlocksCAD experience they will learn coding and math skills at an earlier age and in a fundamentally different way.  Because of our unique approach, more students, worldwide, will have the opportunity to experience STEM skills and be prepared to succeed in the future.

BlocksCAD was founded by experienced teachers who have all taught math and STEM classes. The company’s founders also are experienced in building education start-ups.  The company has participated in three accelerator programs: LearnLaunch, PlayLabs and Masschallange, earning both praise, but more importantly, advisers and mentors from various industries. Through these relationships we have generated relationships with industry leaders, non-profits, large school districts, and international curriculum publishers., BlocksCAD is advised by experts in the education sector who have experience building educational and playful technology companies.

BlocksCAD is sold as a subscription product.  We charge a school or district $3 - $5 per student per year for access to BlocksCAD for Education platform and curriculum.  Our primary costs are in curriculum development, customer acquisition, and school support. We are uniquely positioned to take advantage of two accelerating trends in the education sector: the implementation of computer science standards  into middle and elementary schools. Because BlocksCAD bridges the gap between math and coding it can be implemented by a general elementary teacher or math teacher as a supplemental piece to an existing math curriculum. We provided 10-15 unique standards aligned math activities that also meet emerging state requirements for computer science curriculum.  By using BlocksCAD schools do not have to hire and train additional dedicated staff to meet CS requirements, nor do they need to dedicate separate time in the already tight student calendar for distinct CS activities. This unique BlocksCAD value proposition has already been recognized by several school districts where we have made sales or are engaged in paid pilot programs.

With access to Solve’s network of experts and resources, BlocksCAD will be able to leverage its recent success to further accelerate the positive impact it are having on student learning of coding and math.  Solve can provide exposure, financial resources and access to financial resources to help us execute on our sales and marketing initiatives to reach more students both in the US and around the world.

BlocksCAD current challenge has been to reach key decision makers within school systems who are in position to fund implementation of our BlocksCAD for Education solution.  We hope to leverage Solve’s network and expertise to help us reach those key decision makers. We also believe Solve can help us reach mission aligned organizations who are able to commit financial resources we need to have the impact we are capable of making with students around the world.