MIT Solve

Solution Overview

Solution Name:

Future Today Edutech Hub

One-line solution summary:

We engage underserved-learners in Gamify-Education to develop critical-thinking/creativity, collaboration/communication at a living-cost.

Pitch your solution.

We are committed to provide all young learners with access to quality, safe, and equitable learning environments in low-connectivity settings through “Gamified-Education” (imaginative play, collaborative projects, and hands-on experiments). We are at present working in seven internet low-penetration-communities (Oke-Lisa, Owode-Ajegunle, Ikorodu, Imota, Mowo-Nla, Igbogbo and Owutu) of Lagos-State.

We utilize MIT Scratch and derivatives (on/offline) in our Gamified-Education (solution) to implement World-Bank report which states that “New-technologies have the potential to disrupt education for the better”, claiming “At the classroom level, machine-learning technology can enhance the effectiveness of teachers and can allow students to learn at their own pace.” http://documents.worldbank.org...

Thereby contribute positively to lower youth-unemployment rate to that of adults in our host-communities that would translate to a 10 to 20% increase in Africa’s GDP, by Creating 25-Million Jobs and Equipping 50Million Youth(2016-2025). https://www.afdb.org/fileadmin...

Also assist “to establish a strong convergence between technology, economic-development and governance” in Lagos.

Film your elevator pitch.

What specific problem are you solving?

We are committed to provide all young learners with access to quality, safe, and equitable learning environments in low-connectivity settings through “Gamified-Education” (imaginative play, collaborative projects, and hands-on experiments). We are at present working in seven internet low-penetration-communities (Oke-Lisa, Owode-Ajegunle, Ikorodu, Igbogbo, Mowo-Nla, Igbogbo and Owutu) of Lagos-State. We have served over sixty learners with 70% Registered Female in 2year. Our learners have expressed confidence that they are better equipped to access and create good jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities for themselves.

The commitment of The Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwoolu “to establish a strong convergence between technology, economic development and governance” to serve 17.5-million Lagosians are major factors contributing to the problem relating to our solution. We contribute positively to lower youth-unemployment rate to that of adults in our host-communities and if scaled would translate to a 10 to 20% increase in Africa’s GDP, by Creating 25-Million Jobs and Equipping 50Million Youth(2016-2025 ).

If scaled globally it can help fulfill the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG) 4 on equitable education and skills development, UNSDG 5 on Gender Equality, UNSDG 8 on inclusive growth, productive employment and decent work for all and UNSDG1 on ending poverty.

What is your solution?

We guide all young learners to form collaborative Gamified-Educational gangs to explore the use of MIT-Scratch and derivatives to access quality, safe, and equitable learning environments in low-connectivity settings through imaginative play, collaborative projects, and hands-on experiments.

We respond to relevant market needs by investing in open-access resources adapted to local contexts and curricula as prescribed byUNESCO (2018)

Our Gamified-Educational gangs explore at their own pace the potentials of Games (new technologies) to disrupt education for the better, rather than explain using machine learning technology at the classroom level that enhances the effectiveness of teachers.

To achieve our purpose of improving lives and transforming the African continent we run “code to learn” classes and boot camps aimed at developing Gamified skills for learners with low-connectivity access in our hub and in alliance with community based organization(e.g. NASFAT), to offer same to their underserved members most especially girls and young women .

We aim to ensure that all our learners have an exceptional and distinctive connectivity access experience while at the Learning Hub.

Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?

We guide all young learners of school age to form collaborative Gamified-Educational gangs to explore the use of MIT-Scratch, Stempedia-PictoBlox, NI-Labview etc to access quality, safe, and equitable learning environments in low-connectivity settings through imaginative play, collaborative projects, and hands-on experiments.

We are serving young learners with low internet access-connectivity from seven peri-urban communities (Oke-Lisa, Owode Ajugunle, Ikorodu, Owutu, Igbogbo, Imota, Mowo Nla) in Lagos State in our hub and in alliance with community based organisation (e.g NASFAT), private and government Institutions and Ministry.

We engage our underserved-learners to Gamify their Educational curriculum needs to aid assimilation by turning facts into visible action in the simplest, sustainable, collaborative and most beautiful way possible to make knowledge acquisition a joy at a living-cost. Through our solution, they develop critical thinking, creativity, collaboration & communication – the four C’s of the 21st century skills.

Which dimension of the Challenge does your solution most closely address?

Enable access to quality learning experiences in low-connectivity settings—including imaginative play, collaborative projects, and hands-on experiments.

Explain how the problem you are addressing, the solution you have designed, and the population you are serving align with the Challenge.

World Bank reported " Learning poverty" is responsible for inability to read a basic-story at the age of 10 for as many as 80% of children's in some African countries?

Through guided independent-work and peer-interaction rather than explain, our Gamified-Educational gangs explore the potentials of Games (imaginative-play, collaborative-projects, and hands-on experiments) to disrupt education for the better using machine-learning technology at the classroom level that enhances the effectiveness of teachers as proposed by the World Bank.

We utilize MIT-Scratch and derivatives (off/online) to provide access to quality, safe, and equitable learning environments in low-connectivity settings

In what city, town, or region is your solution team headquartered?

Gberigbe, Lagos, Nigeria

What is your solution’s stage of development?

Growth: An organization with an established product, service, or business model rolled out in one or, ideally, several communities, which is poised for further growth.

Explain why you selected this stage of development for your solution.

We are at present working in seven internet low-penetration-communities of Lagos-State. We have served over sixty-learners with 70% Registered Female in 2year.

Our Hub located in Oke-Lisa serves learners of school-age within the community and environs. In alliance with a community based organisation (NASFAT) we have organized boot-camp for six other communities (Owode-Ajegunle, Ikorodu, Igbogbo, Mowo-Nla, Igbogbo and Owutu).

We are developing our website to enable us form alliance with schools in other internet low-penetration-communities to Increase the engagement of learners in remote, hybrid, and physical-environments, including strategies and tools for peer-interaction, and guided-independent work. Furthermore Support teachers in such schools adapt their pedagogy, facilitate personalized-instruction, and communicate with students and their families in remote and hybrid-settings.

We are seeking to raise additional funding to upscale our Hub, fully develop our website/App for on/offline access, deploy hardware to alliance schools and host a national code-to-learn competition.

Who is the Team Lead for your solution?

Wasiu Oyedepo

More About Your Solution

If your solution has a website or an app, provide the links here:

https://futuretodayedutechhub.wasiuoyedepo.com.ng/

If you have additional video content that explains your solution, provide a YouTube or Vimeo link here:

—

Which of the following categories best describes your solution?

A new business model or process that relies on technology to be successful

What makes your solution innovative?

Future Today Edutech Hub innovatively enable our learners’ access to quality learning experiences in low-connectivity settings through on/offline Gamified Education (imaginative-play, collaborative-projects, and hands-on experiments) as an improved variant of the Code-Lagos Initiative of the Lagos-State Government.

We coordinate unique Gamified-Educational gangs to explore at their own pace the potentials of Games (A new business model) to disrupt education for the better, rather than explain (significantly improved approach) using machine-learning technology at the classroom level that enhances the effectiveness of teachers, improve daily lesson-planning and delivery, foster collaboration, and support long-term development (enable broader positive impacts).
Our Gamified-Educational gangs examine verified facts that are relevant to market needs (enable broader positive impacts) by investing in open-access resources (on/offline) adapted to local-contexts and curricula as advised by UNESCO . They archive this in a fun filled manner through deployment of technology to turn these facts into visible-action (imaginative play) in the simplest, sustainable, collaborative and most beautiful way possible to make knowledge acquisition a fun.
We take a cohesive, inclusive and personalized approach to enhancing the student experience - one that encompasses all subjects, all modes of learning (on/offline), all student services, and all parts of our campus (significantly improved approach) an improvement on teaching of coding as a single-subject practiced under the code Lagos Initiative of the Lagos State Government.
Ultimately we develop our learners’ interest in STE(A)M, via critical thinking, creativity, collaboration & communication – the four C’s of the 21st century skills {enable broader positive impacts}.

Please select the technologies currently used in your solution:

Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning
Audiovisual Media
Internet of Things
Robotics and Drones
Software and Mobile Applications

Select the key characteristics of your target population.

Women & Girls
Children & Adolescents
Rural
Peri-Urban
Poor
Low-Income
Middle-Income
Minorities & Previously Excluded Populations

Which of the UN Sustainable Development Goals does your solution address?

1. No Poverty
4. Quality Education
5. Gender Equality
8. Decent Work and Economic Growth
9. Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
10. Reduced Inequality
11. Sustainable Cities and Communities
17. Partnerships for the Goals

In which countries do you currently operate?

Nigeria

In which countries will you be operating within the next year?

Nigeria

How many people does your solution currently serve? How many will it serve in one year? In five years?

We are currently serving sixty students in six peri-urban communities (Owode-Ajegunle, Ikorodu, Igbogbo,Mowo-Nla, Imota, Owutu) in Lagos State with a 61% Registered Female. These include Gamified-Educational gangs taking classes in our hub and those receiving training in alliance with a community based faith organization NASFAT, Lagos Zone 1.

Based on the positive report from our alliance program with NASFAT, Lagos Zone 1, and all the other elements, We are to scale up to reach an estimated Two-Thousand Five (2,500) students Nationwide courtesy of the office of National Empowerment Secretary and Education Secretary of the society in the next one year.

We are developing a joint product development program with the University of Maiduguri (Prof. Muhammed Dauda, Department of Mechanical Engineering) to enhance our training with 3D-Robotics, Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligent, Machine Learning and others. We plan to implement National Ideathons targeting Ten-thousand (10,000) Students in the next five years, with a minimum 80% Female population.

These will help young learners’ access quality, safe, and equitable learning environments in low-connectivity settings to effectively transition from education to employment and birth Gamified Robotics Gangs (MSME) that are better equipped to access and create good jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities for themselves

How are you measuring your progress toward your impact goals?

UNSDG4: We are currently serving sixty students in seven peri-urban communities (Oke-Lisa,Owode-Ajegunle, Ikorodu, Igbogbo,Mowo-Nla, Imota, Owutu) in Lagos State with a 61% Registered Female. These include Gamified-Educational gangs taking classes in our hub and those receiving training in alliance with a community based faith organization NASFAT, Lagos Zone 1. Through this we have contributed to the Proportion of youth and adults with information and communications technology (ICT) skills, thereby substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship
UNSDG 5: We promote and encourage the participation of girls in our Gamified-Educational gangs. This is indicated by the 61% Registered Female. We through this enhance the use of enabling technology, in particular information and communications technology, to promote the empowerment of women.
UNSDG 8: through our introduction of Gamified-Education we have achieve higher levels of economic productivity through diversification, technological upgrading and innovation, including through a focus on high-value added in a labor-intensive sectors of Education.

About Your Team

What type of organization is your solution team?

For-profit, including B-Corp or similar models

How many people work on your solution team?

Full-time staff -5,
Part-time staff-10.

How long have you been working on your solution?

Two Years

How are you and your team well-positioned to deliver this solution?

WE have a multidisciplinary team with diverse skills, background, and experiences that uniquely position us to deliver a cutting edge Gamified-Education:

Engr. Wasiu Oyedepo, the Team Lead is a highly motivated and experienced Engineer with over 20-years of expert proficiency in directing, organizing and administering industrial, STE(A)M educational and research programmes. Skilled in identifying and supervising innovative projects in the areas of Gamified Education, STE(A)M-Education, IoTs, Renewable-Energy Production, Design and Manufacturing etc. He is regarded for the ability to deliver outstanding results with the highest degree of service and professionalism. Specialties: Gamification, STE(A)M-Teaching, IoT-Application, Biodiesel-Production, Design and Manufacturing, Production Management, Simulation, Teaching & Research etc. Wasiu is a Land-owner at Oke-Lisa, also serves as a Branch General-Secretary of NASFAT, Owode-Ajegunle and a member of NASFAT Lagos Zone-1 Quarterly-conference committee. Through these positions he attracts the opportunity to run joint Boot-camp between Future Today Edutech Hub and NASFAT. Furthermore, he serves as a mentor for NIMechE-FAFME Design and Creativity Competition, a fully funded program by Royal Academy of Engineers, UK.
Prof. Dauda is a highly motivated and experienced Engineer with over 25-years of expert proficiency in directing, organizing and administering educational and research programmes. Skilled in identifying and supervising innovative-research in the areas of: Sustainability-Issues, advanced-materials, advanced-manufacturing and sustainable technologies, etc. He is regarded for the ability to deliver outstanding results with the highest degree of service and professionalism. Specialties: 3D-Printing Advanced-Manufacturing Technologies, Green-Composite Materials, Materials-Processing Techniques, Teaching & Research, etc.
Prof. Dauda provides mentorship and advisory services to the team.

What is your approach to building a diverse, equitable, and inclusive leadership team?

Future Today Edutech Hub (FuTEduH) is committed to advance a respectful and caring community that embraces diversity and empowers everyone to learn and do their best at our Hub, cultivating a community focused on Future Today Edutech Hub’s shared values of engagement, assimilation and acquisition.

FuTEduH is an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, ancestry, or national or ethnic origin.

Through FuTEduH’s core values of engagement, assimilation and acquisition, we strive to uphold the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and are committed to anti-racism in all the work we do.

FuTEduH is putting in place an internal DEI team of FuTEduH staff specifically focused on three areas:

Internal efforts (including data collection, hiring, and vendor selection)

Programming

Communications

Diversity: We appreciate and leverage the many differences of FuTEduH staff and FuTEduH’s larger community, and we involve and reflect the various communities we serve through partnership and open innovation. Our team include: Engr Wasiu OYEDEPO a Yoruba from Western Nigeria and Prof. Muhammed Dauda, an Hausa/Fulani scholar from Northern Nigeria.

Equity: We design our policies, practices, and resources with the goal of providing people of all backgrounds a genuine opportunity to thrive. #NASFATKIDSCANCODE an initiative of FuTEduH in alliance with NASFAT have women represented on its implementation committee and seek to promote participation of more girls in ICT.

Your Business Model & Partnerships

Partnership & Prize Funding Opportunities

Why are you applying to Solve?

We are applying to Solve to:

Financial: Build connections to investors and grantors to progress our fundraising strategy to Strengthen (Hardware, Software subscription) our Hub for off/online learning (on Microsoft Team, Zoom, Slack etc.). Also empower (Hardware, Software subscription) our sixty Alumni with Game Development enterprise (MSME).
Technical: Mentor and advice on Solution Technology acquisition and deployment in the area of Hardware, Software subscription to strengthen our Hub off/online learning capacities (on Microsoft Team, Zoom, Slack etc.). Including Hardware, Software subscription to empower our sixty Alumni with Game Development enterprise (MSME).
Legal: Mentor and advice to secure government certification of our Gamified-Education Curriculum
Cultural: Mentor and advise to Securing parental permission of all young learners in internet low-connectivity settings to access to quality, safe, and equitable learning environments through our “Gamified-Education”
Market: Support marketing and communications to Secure patronage/ collaboration with international organizations with messages to translate to Local Languages and Robotics e.g. WHO, UNESCO. Securing adoption of our Gamified-Education Gags by relevant government agencies in Nigeria and Globally.

In which of the following areas do you most need partners or support?

Human Capital (e.g. sourcing talent, board development, etc.)
Business model (e.g. product-market fit, strategy & development)
Financial (e.g. improving accounting practices, pitching to investors)
Legal or Regulatory Matters
Public Relations (e.g. branding/marketing strategy, social and global media)
Monitoring & Evaluation (e.g. collecting/using data, measuring impact)
Product / Service Distribution (e.g. expanding client base)
Technology (e.g. software or hardware, web development/design, data analysis, etc.)

Please explain in more detail here.

To reach the goals mentioned above, Future Today Edutech Hub seeks partnerships to:

Mentor and advice on product development and strategic planning

Support marketing and communications that clearly distribute data

Support Solution Technology acquisition and deployment that clearly support our goals

Build connections to investors and grantors to progress our fundraising strategy.

What organizations would you like to partner with, and how would you like to partner with them?

The Edx Team: Mentor and advice to move our services online.

Megan Smith; Support Solution Technology acquisition and deployment and build connections to investors and grantors to progress or fundraising strategy, to scale up our solution to low income communities in Nigeria, USA (Refugees) and worldwide.

Diana Yousef, the founder of change:WATER Labs: to support local pilots of our solution crowded communities in Uganda and around the globe.

Architect Liz Ogbu: to support local pilots of our solution among mothers and daughters in Tanzania and the day Labor center in the USA.

WHO: To adopt our solution to Gamify their publication in Nigeria Local Languages. https://youtu.be/p82J8j7go5U

World Bank: To adopt our solution to Gamify their publication in Nigeria Local Languages

https://youtu.be/LVAd8EBXcKc.

https://youtu.be/MWVgoh3Mdy4

https://youtu.be/p82J8j7go5U

https://youtu.be/z96jxXfll_Q

MIT Media Lab.: to accept us as one of their computer clubhouses, which help young people from low-income communities learn to express themselves creatively with new technologies. Collaborator to translate the Scratch program into Nigeria Local Languages. https://youtu.be/aXHG-FGimpE

Do you qualify for and would you like to be considered for The ASA Prize for Equitable Education? If you select Yes, explain how you are qualified for the prize in the additional question that appears.

Yes, I wish to apply for this prize

Explain how you are qualified for this prize. How will your team use The ASA Prize for Equitable Education to advance your solution?

nn

Do you qualify for and would you like to be considered for The Andan Prize for Innovation in Refugee Inclusion? If you select Yes, explain how you are qualified for the prize in the additional question that appears.

Yes, I wish to apply for this prize

Explain how you are qualified for this prize. How will your team use The Andan Prize for Innovation in Refugee Inclusion to advance your solution?

nn

Do you qualify for and would you like to be considered for The GM Prize? If you select Yes, explain how you are qualified for the prize in the additional question that appears.

Yes, I wish to apply for this prize

Explain how you are qualified for this prize. How will your team use The GM Prize for Innovation in Refugee Inclusion to advance your solution?

yy

Do you qualify for and would you like to be considered for the Innovation for Women Prize? If you select Yes, explain how you are qualified for the prize in the additional question that appears.

Yes, I wish to apply for this prize

Explain how you are qualified for this prize. How will your team use the Innovation for Women Prize to advance your solution?

yy

Do you qualify for and would you like to be considered for The AI for Humanity Prize? If you select Yes, explain how you are qualified for the prize in the additional question that appears.

yy

Explain how you are qualified for this prize. How will your team use The AI for Humanity Prize to advance your solution?

Yes, I wish to apply for this prize

Explain how you are qualified for this prize. How will your team use The AI for Humanity Prize to advance your solution?

yy

Do you qualify for and would you like to be considered for The GSR Prize? If you select Yes, explain how you are qualified for the prize in the additional question that appears.

Yes, I wish to apply for this prize