MIT Solve

Solution Overview

Solution Name:

Knowledge In Sharing Society (KISS)

One-line solution summary:

A peer tutoring platform for high school students that tracks tutoring activities and rewards tutors by connecting them to scholarships.

Pitch your solution.

In Zimbabwe, Covid-19 lockdowns and the recurrent teachers strikes have left students from low income families disproportionately affected because they cannot afford distant learning or extra lessons(private tutors), and so the same top schools continue to produce outstanding results while the national pass rate drops, creating a cycle of structural inequality. K.I.S.S is building educationally empowered communities by providing a peer tutoring platform where inspired high school students are connected to their peers with unique educational needs. We use blockchain to track students' volunteering activities and create a verifiable record that can be used by top universities and scholarship programs. K.I.S.S is administered by local schools and community leadership to verify tutors and nominate those who need extra assistance.

Film your elevator pitch.

What specific problem are you solving?

Across the developing world, access to private tutors or extra lessons is the main factor that determines pass rate of high school students. This is because teachers are often poorly renumerated and therefore lack motivation. Unfortunately, students from low income families usually cannot afford private tutors or extra lessons. Even though some have has access to free radio or internet prerecorded lessons, most students cannot afford a private tutor or extra lessons to assist with one to one explanation of concepts that are difficult to understand or even reviewing practice tests and giving personalized feedback. Whilst peer tutoring has demonstrated a positive impact on learning at universities and in the developed world, this approach has not be utilized in high school and in Africa because there is no motivation for high attaining tutors who are not paid, there is no coordinated supervision and support for tutoring activities, and there concerns about abuse and misappropriate interaction.

What is your solution?

Our solution is a web and mobile app and an API that can be plugged into educational apps, where students can search and be matched with verified volunteer student tutors. We provide an interactive whiteboard for online tutorials, Appointment scheduling and reporting tools for offline, WhatsApp, or in-person tutorials.

Our model is centered around verified teachers, parents and community leaders who can verify students and nominate those who need assistance.

We are using AI to asses basic knowledge and skill level and to track and control cyberbullying. Our API can be plugged into existing educational apps e.g the digital leaning passport by Microsoft/Unicef and a local virtual science experiments app for high school students. To empower tutors we provide questioning frames to use in tutoring sessions, and training and feedback for tutors.

Through Our proprietary blockchain tracking system for students volunteering activities of tutoring and other non-tutoring activities such as donations given,- we connect inspired students to scholarship programs and educational institutions e.g Joshua NkomoScholarship and United States Education Advising Centre. We also reward other non tutoring activities such as helping a fellow student’s chores so that they can have time to study.

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

Our solution serves high school students in Zimbabwe and other low income countries. High attaining learners will consolidate their knowledge by giving tutorials and they will build a verifiable unique resume for volunteering experience that can be used to increase chances of getting into special scholarship programs. Students with educational needs will have access to safe, verified and affordable tutors who can assist them with one on one explanation of concepts from lectures, textbooks, online lessons, and other educational apps. This way we re building and educationally empowered and socially responsible community in way that benefits both the tutor and the tutees.

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

Increase the engagement of learners in remote, hybrid, and physical environments, including strategies and tools for parental support, peer interaction, and guided independent work.

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

KISS exists to create an educational society that is centered around the local community where parents, leaders and teachers can nominate students who need extra assistance and they can verify students who can be tutors and tutors to monitor safety and mitigate bullying. Our solution leverages the existence of common data points at schools through the learning passport initiative by Unicef. These internet points can be used by teachers for searching and scheduling initial appointments, and uploading reports , however tutorials can be done on in person. This is critical since 80% of the Zimbabwe population is living in the rural areas with poor internet connectivity and limited access to smartphones.

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

Harare, Zimbabwe

What is your solution’s stage of development?

Prototype: A venture or organization building and testing its product, service, or business model.

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

We have been using WhatsApp groups that have over 500 students in Harare. We are currently testing our web and mobile app in partnership with Nyazura High School and Mt pleasant high School. We are building an API to integrate with the UNICEff learning passport in Zimbabwe.

Who is the Team Lead for your solution?

Evans Mchechesi

More About Your Solution

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

www.knowledgeinsharing.org

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?

KISS started of with whatsapp groups for local Harare students where students from different schools could discuss and help each other. Given our prior experience, ours is the only model that rewards the tutors after realizing that most of the high attainers are aware that voluntary experience is increasingly required to get a scholarship. By rewarding both the tutors and tutees as sustainable model is established. And it works: The UNICEF local office has engaged KISS to refine its product and service so that it can be integrated wit learning passport. We have made partnerships with the Joshua Nkomo Scholarship to recognis students with high KISS scores.

Realising the fact that some students in rural communities face different challenges that hinder them from studying, KISS also rewards and keeps track of non-tutoring assistance given e.g helping a peer with chores or donating food.

Please select the technologies currently used in your solution:

Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning
Audiovisual Media
Blockchain
Software and Mobile Applications
Virtual Reality / Augmented Reality

Select the key characteristics of your target population.

Peri-Urban
Poor
Low-Income
Refugees & Internally Displaced Persons

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

4. Quality Education
8. Decent Work and Economic Growth
10. Reduced Inequality

In which countries do you currently operate?

Zimbabwe

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

Malawi
Zambia
Zimbabwe

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

KISS currently serves 600 students in Harare District. Through partnership with UNICEF and Joshua Nkomo scholarship and others, in the next five years we expect to reach 10m people

How are you measuring your progress toward your impact goals?

-schools pass rate

-gap between high attainers and low attainers

About Your Team

Your Business Model & Partnerships

Partnership & Prize Funding Opportunities

Why are you applying to Solve?

I'm a high school student who has experienced first hand the consequences of inequities in access to educational opportunities. As a social entrepreneur I recognise the need to be connected to a community of like minded social entrepreneurs, and to leaders and experts around the world. This will enhance my capacity to make more positive impact in my community.

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)
Technology (e.g. software or hardware, web development/design, data analysis, etc.)

Please explain in more detail here.

Our business model largely depends on buy-in from local communities, schools and government and scholarship opportunities. Success redounds on how robust our solution and business model is. MIT Solve can assist with refining our product and our nosiness model

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

Microsoft to integrate with with their learning passport

US Universities to recognise K.I.S.S points for scholarships

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.

No, I do not wish to be considered for this prize, even if the prize funder is specifically interested in my solution

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.

No, I do not wish to be considered for this prize, even if the prize funder is specifically interested in my solution

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?

We are creating a smart and sustainable community by building educationally empowered communities where students are also socially responsible. We believe this will create better economic opportunities for everyone including children from low income families who continue to get poorer due to lack of access to great career opportunities.

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.

No, I do not wish to be considered for this prize, even if the prize funder is specifically interested in my solution

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

No, I do not wish to be considered for this prize, even if the prize funder is specifically interested in my solution
Yes, I wish to apply for this prize

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

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

K.I.S.S is creating smart and sustainable communities by building educationally empowered communities where students are also socially responsible. High attainers should be rewarded for assisting low attaining students. We believe this will create better economic opportunities for everyone including children from low income families who continue to get poorer due to lack of access to great career opportunities. We use blockchain to track volunteering activities for tutoring and non-tutoring actives e.g a student assisting another student in home chores so that the chore is quickly done and time is created for studying. The GSR prize will help us build biometric tools to enhance the security and accuracy of our tracking tools