Out Of The Box Education

Millions of children/youth are out of school. Our solution empowers them to continue learning effectively anywhere in the world, by targeting challenge statements (1) and (2): To increase the engagement of learners in remote, hybrid, and physical environments, including strategies and tools for parental support, peer interaction and guided learning. Our solution also simultaneously enables  quality learning experiences in low-connectivity settings.

Out Of The Box is a mobile, modular classroom-in-a-box (hardware) with an accompanying web application (software). The hardware allows young learners to convert any available space into a full learning area, while the software provides learning curriculum, videos, and instructions for both the educator and the student, across Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) subjects.

If scaled globally, children and youths will be able to continue learning no matter where they are, even in disaster-prone areas. Out Of The Box could change the lives of these people.

More than 260 million children and youth around the world are out of school, according to data from the UNESCO Institute for Statistic. This figure is equivalent to a quarter of Europe's population. Covid19 has exacerbated this problem, with experts estimating that over 1 billion children and youth are now out of school. The biggest barrier to these children/youth continuing their education is the lack of learning infrastructure and lack of quality learning materials. 

Out Of The box hopes to provides these children and youth with the necessary learning tools and materials to continue their education. These children and youths are often underprivileged, or low on the socio-economic ladder. By empowering them to continue their early education effectively, they can gain the knowledge and other important skillsets to growth and be successful in the later stages of their lives.

Our learning materials and curriculum are designed and developed across various across Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) subjects, and we target critical development areas and skillsets necessary for a young learner's growth, such as cognitive, numeracy, and literacy development.

Out Of The Box is a complete learning solution for young learners. It comprises two components: (1) hardware and (2) software. 

The (1) hardware is a mobile, modular classroom-in-a-box, comes complete with learning desk/table and chair, as well as apparatus, tools, and other education materials. 

The (2) software comes in the form of a web application that includes educational curriculum in various science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) subjects, targeting various development areas. It also includes tutorials, instructions and downloadable worksheets for educators, parents, community facilitators or volunteers to use, to guide the children and youths in their learning. 

In the medium term, we plan to incorporate machine learning methods to provide customized recommendations and learning feedback for different profiles of young learners.

Out Of The Box is a complete, affordable and innovative solution to convert any available space for learning purposes.

Our solution serves young learners, especially those in underprivileged communities or without access to proper education facilities. These include children and youths in developing countries without education infrastructure, or even in developed regions but without access to adequate education resources.

We have worked with nonprofits, volunteer groups, and educators on the ground to understand the needs of these young learners, as well as to pilot our solution - including our hardware and learning curriculum.

Our solution provides them with education tools and learning materials, for these young learners to continue learning effectively. More importantly, our solution also gives them a sense of belonging and education continuity. Parents, community facilitators and volunteers can also use our solution easily, to help guide these young learners along on their learning journey.

Our solution is completely aligned with the Solve Challenge Statement 1: Increase the engagement of learners in remote, hybrid, and physical environments.

Out Of The Box empowers young learners and provides them with hardware and a platform for guided independent learning, no matter where they are. Our integrated solution provides hybrid physical and digital learning, but can also work as a standalone solution in remote regions without much connectivity.

Parents, educators, facilitators and volunteers can also access our platform for videos, instructions, and downloadable worksheets. They can use these to help guide the young learners, or track learning progress. 

We have pilot tested our solution in Southeast Asia and the United States. For example, we deployed to The Children's Society, SHINE Children and Youth Services, and other volunteer groups in Singapore from January to March 2021. Our solution has benefited over 100 young learners during this timeframe. 

We are currently refining the design of our mobile classrooms-in-a-box and our web platform based on feedback from educators, parents and learners, and will implement the improved versions soon.

What makes Out Of The Box innovative is the fact that it integrates hardware and software, providing a hybrid yet complete solution for young learners in any part(s) of the world. The modular, mobile nature makes our solution scalable and easily customizable, able to be contextualized to suit learners in different regions, countries, and native languages.

We have developed an innovative classroom-as-a-service model. Our solution supports guided independent learning, yet simultaneously empowers/allows parents, educators, or volunteers to guide and help these young learners along. The curriculum, learning materials and tools also possess flexibility and adaptability to be continuously shaped and improved to suit learners of different needs.

Out Of The Box is a unique, critical solution to today's most fundamental education challenges. There is significant demand for a solution like Out Of The Box, and our solution was validated through various platforms. For example, Out Of The Box was voted for the Audience Choice Award at the World Bank Youth Summit by delegates around the world.

We have benefited over 100 children/young learners in our pilots over January to March 2021. We have also deployed to (or worked with) a number of non-profit organizations and volunteer groups, such as The Children's Society and SHINE Children and Youth Services, and the National Library Board of Singapore. 

We are currently refining our solution based on user feedback, and plan to scale soon. We also plan to shift from low volume manufacturing to pilot productions with feasible unit economics and economies of scale. Once we identify trustworthy partner manufacturers, we will scale our solution to many more (thousands, even tens of thousands) of young learners.

Success of the project can be measured through key performance indicators such as number of children attending and completing school/education at various predefined levels, pre-post tests (before and after deployment) to gauge learning effectiveness, as well as other standard methods for measuring education effectiveness such as standardized tests.

On a longer term, longitudinal studies can be implemented targeted at particular communities to analyze effectiveness of Out Of The Box's solution.

• 2 cofounders
• 2 part-time staff
• 2 contractors
• We also work with teachers, educators, and researchers on a freelance basis

Our team is well-positioned to deliver this solution because of the successful track record of developing and delivering innovative education solutions. For example, the cofounders are serial entrepreneurs, having previously cofounded a profitable education venture which had developed learning programs and served over 1,000 children/young learners. The cofounder's previous venture had also worked with large organizations such as Google. 

The team has over 10 years combined experience in teaching, conducting and delivering innovative education programs for children/young learners. One of the cofounders also taught in a university.

All in all, the team has experience in technology and product development, policy, entrepreneurship, venture capital, startups, and most importantly, education.

The team also has a strong network, including resource persons to reach out and tap on for advise and guidance. 

We strive to build an inclusive, diverse and equitable organization. We have been working with people of diverse backgrounds and experiences, without discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, gender identify, religion, disability, national or ethnic origin.

We have also partnered people/organizations with different backgrounds and experiences, and piloted/deployed in different regions.

We strive to be respectful and uphold the principles of diversify, equity and inclusion, and are committed to anti-racism in the work that we do.

We are applying to Solve for various reasons, including:

• We hope to learn from (and share our experiences/knowledge) with our peers, especially people working in education ventures.
• We believe the mentorship, coaching and advice provided by Solve's network will help us grow in a meaningful and sustainable manner.
• We would like to work with Solve and its affiliates to design and develop an impact measurement framework as we scale.
• The funding (grants and investments), as well as in-kind resources, are critical for our growth.

There is significant and promising demand for our solution, but we are an early-stage venture that is extremely lean. The team is taking on multiple roles, across domain expertise areas. In view of this, partnerships and supports in the areas above will be most useful as we scale. 

Some of the potential partnerships that we hope to explore include:

• MIT faculty and initiatives, especially those relevant to education, to help testbed and validate different parts of our solution.
• Solve members, for mentorship and guidance.
• Ecosystem partners, such as manufacturers/fabricators, and supply chains partners.
• Relevant stakeholders in the education ecosystem, such as teachers, curriculum planners, or people who have experience with the developing education/learning materials for young learners.

Our solution (hardware and software) allows teachers, educators, and education facilitators to implement and deploy in different regions and contexts. It saves time and effort for them in areas such as curriculum planning and classroom design. 

For example, teachers and educators can utilize our solution to create learning/teaching pods in different regions, by using our mobile classroom-in-a-box, together with the science, engineering, technology, arts, and mathematics curriculum, learning activities and downloadables that we have developed.

Our solution allows for rapid deployment in refugee camps, to allow for continuity in education and learning anywhere in the world. The one-child version of our mobile classroom-in-a-box is extremely mobile and flexible. It comes in a briefcase-sized box that can be easily assembled into a full learning unit comprising a desk/table and chair, together with learning materials and curriculum. We are also design a "solar sticker" that provides light in the dark, using solar power charged when available, for young learners.

The entire set-up can be easily deployed/implemented to empower and enable young learners (refugees) to continue learning despite their circumstances.

Our solution allows for rapid deployment in refugee camps, to allow for continuity in education and learning anywhere in the world. 

We have developed learning activities and curriculum across the various domains of science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM). These are easily accessible, and can be used by young learners around the world.

The one-child version of our mobile classroom-in-a-box is extremely mobile and flexible. It comes in a briefcase-sized box that can be easily assembled into a full learning unit comprising a desk/table and chair, together with learning materials and curriculum. We are also design a "solar sticker" that provides light in the dark, using solar power charged when available, for young learners.

The entire set-up can be easily deployed/implemented to empower and enable young learners (refugees) to continue learning despite their circumstances.

We plan to use the GM Prize to refine and improve our STEAM/STEM learning activities and curriculum, and to improve outreach and accessibility to our solution.

We are using machine learning to improve learning for young learners, and provide customized recommendations to enhance the effectiveness of their learning journey. This will be incorporated in our web application in the medium term.

We plan to use the AL for Humanity Prize to acquire more users/participants, and to improve our models. 

We are using machine learning to improve learning for young learners, and provide customized recommendations to enhance the effectiveness of their learning journey. This will be incorporated in our web application in the medium term.

We plan to use the AL for Humanity Prize to acquire more users/participants, and to improve our models. 

Our solution allows for rapid deployment in local regions, to allow for continuity in education and learning anywhere in the world. 

We have developed learning activities and curriculum across the various domains of science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM). These are easily accessible, and can be used by young learners around the world.

The one-child version of our mobile classroom-in-a-box is extremely mobile and flexible. It comes in a briefcase-sized box that can be easily assembled into a full learning unit comprising a desk/table and chair, together with learning materials and curriculum. We are also design a "solar sticker" that provides light in the dark, using solar power charged when available, for young learners.

We plan to use the GSR prize to developed more customized learning solutions targeted at specific localized regions, and to improve outreach and accessibility to our solution.