MIT Solve

Solution Overview

Solution Name:

ReliablyME Lifelong Learning

One-line solution summary:

A commitments-based SMS nudging platform that empowers users with a character credential based on evidence of their experiential learning.

Pitch your solution.

We are helping people without Internet connectivity and sufficient formal credentials to be recognized for their authentic self and social worth in order to gain equitable access to education, employment, housing, credit, insurance, and social groups.

ReliablyME empowers them with the ability to register their commitments via SMS instant messaging using their feature phone to earn digital completion badges from reliant people and organizations that acknowledge the nature of their experiential learning. Hiring employers can adjudicate an objective, evidence-based digital credential that attests to the candidate's reliability, punctuality, personal integrity, and accountability for relevant soft and hard skills.

If scaled throughout LAC and globally, everyone will have equal access to technology that empowers them to gain equitable (unbiased) access to opportunities anywhere by being able to present objective evidence of their lifelong experiential learning and good character.

Film your elevator pitch.

What specific problem are you solving?

We are empowering the most marginalized communities with technology that gives them equitable access to opportunities based on objective evidence of their lifelong learning and good character. Specifically, ReliablyME helps provide more equitable access to the digital workforce for all, including those lacking connectivity, those who are differently-abled, and those with undervalued talents.

In total, 32% of the Latin American and Caribbean population, that is 244 million people, have no internet access. At least 77 million rural inhabitants in Latin America and the Caribbean are unable to access internet services that satisfy minimal quality standards. And nearly 300 million people in the region are still unable to connect to the mobile internet.

Mobile connectivity is important for informal, experiential learning that takes place outside the classroom and is particularly valuable for students with non-traditional backgrounds, unique profiles, and undervalued skills, impacting more than 16M people in the United States.

Fifty-seven million poorer students with minority backgrounds are often excluded from learning and access opportunities due to an under-resourced U.S. public education system creating an environment that perpetuates disparity in educational and economic opportunity through generations despite many having the potential to excel.

What is your solution?

ReliablyME is a technology platform that empowers people with a transferable character credential to demonstrate their authentic self and social worth and access opportunities from which they might otherwise be excluded.

Character credentials are earned by the people being served through programs provided by social and community organizations, governments, and educational systems.

Individuals make digital commitments to each other and/or to their service organizations
They receive “nudges” based upon commitments to remind and motivate behavior change
They are awarded issuer (the relying party, such as a service organization) defined badges for their demonstrated behavior
Earned badges and reliability related scores are accumulated in a private commitment portfolio that serves as their personal character credential
Service organizations analyze data and behavioral results from a dashboard to report success and intervene if individuals are derailing

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

We are currently engaged with a number of organizations that serve youth and other underserved populations, helping them to develop the skills and access opportunities that create pathways to prosperity. These include:

CEMEX for Junior Achievement - Mexico
Goodwill for staff soft skills development - Canada
United Way for neighborhood workforce development - Canada
Regent Park subsidized housing for youth empowerment - Canada
Jobs For the Future for easing employment of ex-convicts - USA
Dream A Dream for empowering youth from vulnerable backgrounds - India
CRI for lifelong learning - France
Catalyst 2030 identifying collaboration opportunities to empower people in support of the UN SDGs - a global community of collaborating social entrepreneurs

In each case, ReliablyME is being introduced to recognize people (mostly youth) for their experiential learning through extracurricular and uncompensated activities with a tool that helps them adopt behaviors conducive to prosperity and wellbeing.

Our technology platform enables local service delivery organizations to define commitments-based applications that earn participants badges. Badge policies specify the name and nature of each badge issued, as well as the processes and standards that need to be met in order for a badge to be awarded. Each application of ReliablyME is, therefore, unique to the implementing organization. In all cases, participating individuals are nudged to demonstrate a desirable behavior that is valued by the service provider and/or third parties to which the individuals are applying for opportunities.

ReliablyME is also used to affect systems change by connecting all ecosystem stakeholders via a blockchain-enabled data commons. For example, in Regent Park, at-risk youth are engaged in numerous personal development activities:

volunteer to deliver warm meals to homeless people
attend financial literacy workshops
participate in a financial responsibility mentoring program
access a technology lending library
attend a digital skills development program

In each case, they can register their corresponding commitments via SMS text messaging on ReliablyME in order to build a commitment portfolio that demonstrates their ongoing commitment to contributing to the community and financial empowerment. It gives them an opportunity to demonstrate their reliability, punctuality, personal integrity, and accountability, as well as providing evidence of their dedication to become financially responsible. Individuals who show up to deliver meals on time, attend financial literacy sessions, follow through on their mentor's recommendations, and return borrowed technology to the library on time can use their ReliablyME commitment portfolio as an indicator of their creditworthiness that opens doors to financial inclusion.

When they use ReliablyME to develop additional community development applications that award additional badges to community members and empower them with evidence of their authentic self and social worth it can help them create new pathways to a prosperous career in applying and developing digital technologies.

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

Promote the assessment and recognition of skills developed outside the formal educational system

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

We are working with the following communities that have limited mobile connectivity:

Healing as One supporting at-risk youth in Regent Park subsidized housing (Toronto)
Goodwill OLG in London, Canada to help affect behavior change of subsidized employees who have limited mobile connectivity

We are currently working with CEMEX in Mexico to support their (extracurricular) Junior Achievement mentoring program by ensuring that all program participants can have equal access to mentors regardless of the capacity of their mobile connectivity.

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

Toronto, ON, Canada

What is your solution’s stage of development?

Pilot: An organization deploying a tested product, service, or business model in at least one community.

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

We are now implementing the fourth release of our technology platform (see ReliablyME News Releases). The first version was developed for Goodwill. We subsequently ran a pilot with 16 users in Regent Park who volunteered to deliver meals to homeless people.

We have also conducted dozens of customized live demonstrations for a wide variety of use cases and are in the process of advancing these to pilot implementations worldwide.

Who is the Team Lead for your solution?

Alex Todd