TeachMeAnything.org

We are addressing the lack of accessible and inclusive civic education, which hinders many individuals, especially youth, from participating in community, state, national, or global governance. This problem affects millions of people worldwide and contributes to disparities in civic engagement and empowerment. Factors contributing to this problem include inadequate civic curricula, limited opportunities for hands-on learning, and insufficient emphasis on critical thinking, power dynamics, and social-emotional competencies.

Our solution is an AI-driven platform that generates personalized,
problem-based 4-week study plans tailored for learners interested in
civic topics. Utilizing ChatGPT, the platform evaluates students'
comprehension and provides constructive feedback on their submitted
solutions. The website connects users with both local and global
communities centered around specific skills or subjects, promoting
collaboration and expanding perspectives on civic challenges. Our
platform is highly accessible and adaptable, catering to diverse
regions, languages, and cultures. Additionally, we have designed several
"predefined paths" with pre-selected topics, such as critical thinking
and conflict resolution, enabling users to seamlessly embark on their
learning journey.

Our solution targets students and young adults, particularly those in underserved communities, who have limited access to quality civic
education. By providing an engaging, technology-enabled platform that
offers tailored learning experiences and fosters collaboration, we
empower these individuals to actively participate in civic action. Our
solution equips them with the knowledge and skills to navigate complex
issues, understand power dynamics, and engage in meaningful discourse,
ultimately improving their ability to shape their communities and the
world around them.

Our team, based in Monterrey, is deeply rooted in the local educational ecosystem, with strong connections to renowned universities like Tecnologico de Monterrey. We have extensive experience in student organizations focused on empowering learners to fulfill their dreams, from tutoring young children to connecting students with industry professionals. We understand that traditional learning environments are insufficient in preparing students for the rapidly changing world, where technological innovations can render entire career paths obsolete overnight.

TeachMeAnything was born from the realization that it's crucial to equip students with the ability to learn effectively and discern quality information amidst the vast digital landscape. By partnering with local student groups, we introduce our platform, enabling students to harness technology and AI to enhance their learning experiences. Our solution fosters lifelong learning and connects like-minded individuals for collaborative problem-solving and dialogue around local challenges.

While our platform is currently only available in English, we are actively working on translating it into Spanish to broaden our reach and make it more accessible to local communities. This translation initiative will further our impact and enable us to empower even more learners in their pursuit of civic action and personal growth.

We are applying to Solve to ensure that our pedagogical approach is optimally suited for our target audience, and we believe that collaborating with a world-renowned institution like MIT will guide us in refining our dynamic curriculum.

AI is integral to our solution, and we want to verify its proper application while exploring ways to improve our tech stack and reduce our dependence on OpenAI. Our long-term vision includes developing our own Large Language Model (LLM), enabling us to create an AI tutor specifically tailored to our students' needs. Partnering with a leading technical university like MIT will undoubtedly support us in achieving this goal.

Although scalability is less of a concern for an online platform, we plan to expand our team of engineers to create the most comprehensive and user-friendly product possible. This will enable students to learn, research, and collaborate with their peers within a single platform.

Lastly, we aim to efficiently reach as many students as possible by partnering with organizations worldwide, which can help us connect with local communities. The credibility and recognition associated with the MIT Solve affiliation will significantly enhance our ability to forge these valuable partnerships and expand our reach.

Our solution is built upon two key insights. Firstly, we recognize that traditional content consumption-based learning is becoming obsolete, and that the most effective learning occurs through hands-on experiences and peer discussions. Secondly, given the rapid pace of technological advancements, adaptability and mastering the skill of learning itself are becoming increasingly essential. TeachMeAnything addresses these insights by equipping students with the tools to learn through continuous knowledge assessment, facilitated by both AI tutors and topic-focused communities.

Our platform serves as a bridge between students and the subjects they are passionate about, fostering deeper engagement with real-world issues. TeachMeAnything has the potential to transform the education market by emphasizing the need for courses to be intimately connected with real-world experiences. While we may not have achieved this ultimate goal just yet, our vision is to make learning how to improve one's community as accessible and effective as possible, driving lasting positive impacts.

Our primary objective with TeachMeAnything is to expand the learning opportunities available to individuals beyond the confines of traditional education, enabling them to explore new subjects and develop essential skills to improve their lives and communities.

In the next year, we will concentrate on subjects that foster local community improvement, such as critical thinking, systemic thinking, emotional awareness, empathy, and conflict resolution. By focusing on civic action topics, we can effectively organize online resources, design curricula, and guide our students on their learning journey. Our platform will especially appeal to those who are passionate about taking civic action and seeking ways to enhance their surroundings and personal development. We also aim to translate our platform into Spanish and potentially other languages, further increasing accessibility.

Over the next five years, we plan to expand into "hard" skills like physics, coding, and math, empowering our users to secure their dream jobs by acquiring necessary skills through TeachMeAnything. Our long-term vision is to create a platform that rivals or even surpasses traditional university education in terms of impact and prestige. We intend to focus on third-world countries, where access to quality education is often limited, while also addressing the needs of underserved demographics in developed nations.

By making our solution as relevant to real-world scenarios as possible, we aim to provide accessible, transformative learning experiences that empower individuals and communities across the Americas and beyond.

We have identified several key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure our progress towards our impact goals:

1. Number of students enrolled
2. Number of study plans created (students may have multiple active study plans)
3. Study plan completion rate
4. Active communities on the platform
5. Cities with an active local community presence

In addition to these quantitative metrics, we will also focus on qualitative assessments to gauge the effectiveness of our pedagogy. We plan to track the progress of students who have completed our program by asking about their motivations for learning a specific subject and evaluating whether they have achieved their intended goals. This qualitative feedback will be crucial, particularly during the early stages, in helping us refine our approach and ensure we are delivering the most effective learning experience for our students.

Our theory of change is based on the idea that empowering learners with the tools, resources, and community needed for effective, self-directed learning will lead to increased civic engagement, knowledge, and collaborative problem-solving skills. We believe that by providing a dynamic, AI-driven learning platform, we can foster meaningful connections and facilitate the sharing of best practices among learners from diverse backgrounds.

Our logical framework consists of three key components:

1. Activities: Develop and enhance the TeachMeAnything platform, incorporating AI and community-driven features to create personalized study plans, provide feedback on understanding, and facilitate local and global connections.

2. Immediate Outputs: Increased student enrollment, higher study plan completion rates, active engagement within communities, and enhanced collaboration among learners.

3. Long-term Outcomes: Improved civic knowledge and skills, stronger social-emotional competencies, and increased capacity for learners to take effective action on local and global issues.

By continuously monitoring our progress and refining our approach, we aim to create a lasting, positive impact on learners' lives and help them become more effective agents of change in their communities.

Our solution leverages cutting-edge AI technology, specifically ChatGPT, to create personalized study plans, generate problem-based homework, and assess students' answers. Presently, our platform is web-based, but we are in the process of developing a mobile app to expand our reach and accessibility.

One of our long-term objectives is to create our own Large Language Model (LLM) to enable more tailored and customized study materials for each learner. In addition to AI, we will improve our web scraping techniques to enhance the quality and relevance of resources suggested in our study plans. This combination of advanced technologies and innovative approaches allows us to provide a comprehensive and effective learning experience for our users, addressing their unique needs and goals.

We strive to create an inclusive and equitable work environment by promoting diversity and providing equal opportunities for all employees, regardless of gender or other factors. To achieve this, we ensure that both male and female employees receive the same benefits and support, eliminating any biases in hiring decisions based on future work capabilities.

We also recognize that extensive job requirements can inadvertently discourage potential female candidates from applying. To address this, we carefully craft our job postings, focusing on the most essential qualifications and making the requirements as realistic as possible. This approach encourages a broader range of applicants and fosters a diverse and inclusive workplace that values different perspectives and experiences.

At present, we offer our services at no cost, as we are in the early

stages of development and seek to gather valuable data and feedback. Our
focus is on identifying the most impactful features utilized by our
users. As we refine our platform, we plan to introduce a premium
subscription model that incorporates these essential components while
continuing to support and empower students in their learning journey. By
providing a seamless, high-quality experience, we will attract users
who value the enhanced features and are willing to invest in their
educational growth through our platform.

Our strategy for achieving financial sustainability involves offering subscription plans for our platform's key features, generating a steady stream of revenue from committed users. Additionally, we are considering implementing a course deposit system, where users pay an upfront fee for starting a course and receive a refund upon completion. This approach would not only generate interest income but also boost student motivation and course completion rates, enhancing engagement and learning outcomes.

While we anticipate the need for initial funding from venture capital to support our growth, we are committed to maintaining a lean operation to minimize financial burdens and avoid unfavorable terms. As we develop and refine our platform, we will continuously explore innovative revenue generation models that align with our mission of empowering students and fostering lifelong learning.

Currently, I've been funding this venture with my savings.