Califica

Education in Latin America faces significant challenges. According to a study by the CAF (Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean) in 2020, 87% of the region's teachers do NOT possess adequate digital skills for teaching in virtual environments. Furthermore, the results from the PISA tests (Programme for International Student Assessment) reveal performance that is notably lower compared to the rest of the world. With around 7 million school teachers in Latin America, this group is notably underserved, highlighting a critical need for support and resources.

Latin American educational systems are experiencing stagnation, and the quality of teachers is a key concern. The lack of appropriate technological tools means that teachers spend 3 to 4 hours daily preparing and delivering quality classes. Addressing this technological gap is imperative to improve education in the region and leverage the opportunities that technology offers, providing much-needed support to this underserved group of professionals.

Califica is a web platform that harnesses the power of AI to significantly reduce the daily workload of school teachers in Latin America, from 3-4 hours down to just 30 minutes, while simultaneously creating advanced educational tools that enrich the learning experience. This powerful combination not only streamlines lesson planning but also enhances the overall quality of education.

Teachers simply enter the lesson topic, and the platform generates a customizable model that is tailored to the school curriculum of their country, ensuring that the lesson aligns with educational objectives.

Furthermore, Califica enables the creation of assessment tools and conceptual maps. Assessment tools can be utilized to gauge student learning, while conceptual maps aid students in understanding key class concepts.

This optimization of time not only boosts digital skills development among teachers, enhancing their well-being, but also empowers them to provide higher quality education to their students.

Califica's technology, driven by artificial intelligence, significantly improves the efficiency of lesson preparation for teachers. We leverage analytics for data-driven decision-making, an essential component for ensuring the scalability of the project. This focus on advanced technology and data analytics underlines our commitment to revolutionizing the educational landscape, providing an indispensable tool for educators to meet the challenges of modern education.

Califica is not only a solution; it is an evolution in the working methodology of school teachers.

Our target population consists of public sector school teachers. There are 7 million school teachers in Latin America. Currently, we are operational in Peru and Mexico, where there are 400,000 and 1,000,000 public sector school teachers, respectively. Additionally, in March, we are launching operations in Chile, where there are 200,000 public sector school teachers.

At present, the public sector lacks adequate tools for school teachers, considering that the majority are not digital natives. Califica is designed to be user-friendly for teachers, following a product-led growth strategy. A school teacher from a rural area can access Califica without any issues regarding the user experience. It is specifically crafted for them, ensuring that even those with limited digital skills can navigate and benefit from the platform effortlessly.

Furthermore, Califica's purpose is to enhance the personal and emotional well-being of teachers by optimizing their daily tasks, preventing them from staying up late creating their lessons. With Califica, they have more time for professional development or simply to spend more time with their family.

Walter and I were privileged to receive one of the best educations available in Peru, and we are well aware that not everyone has the same opportunity. We aim to provide technological tools to all teachers across Latin America with the goal of improving the education in our countries. As a father-son duo, we form the ideal team due to our complementary skills: I, Arturo, focus on product, technology, and growth, supported by my experience in designing user-centered digital products. Meanwhile, my father, Walter, takes care of the financial side and ensures we meet our objectives, leveraging his extensive experience of over 20 years as an entrepreneur.

Walter's background in founding a company that achieved more than 7 million USD in revenue over six years complements my expertise in digital product creation. Both of us have been educated as industrial engineers and share the conviction and perseverance needed to push this project forward. Additionally, our shared passion for using technology as a catalyst for improving education strengthens our collaboration.

Our close connection to the challenges faced by teachers was sparked by Walter's girlfriend, who faced daily struggles with lesson planning, grading, and more. Realizing the potential for automation with the advent of new technologies, it became clear that it was time to move beyond the outdated tools that had been in use for 5, 10, or 15 years. This realization led to the creation of Califica. Now, with a community of more than 900 teachers on WhatsApp and over 400 on Facebook, we are continuously refining our platform based on the feedback and needs of our users. At Califica, our commitment is to iteratively enhance our solution to address the challenges faced by school teachers, making a significant impact on the quality of education across Latin America.

Califica was launched in March 2023, and initially, our focus was solely on the registration of grades and attendance. However, following feedback from school teachers, we pivoted in August to include content creation features. Since this shift, we have seen over 8,500 registrations on our platform, with more than 1,200 users deciding to subscribe. Currently, we operate in Peru and Mexico, though 95% of our teachers are from Peru. We continue to iterate on the design and functionalities of our solution based on the evolving needs of our users. We didnt select the growth stage as we have not done a formal investment round.

We are applying to MIT Solve to seize the opportunity to connect with and learn from peers who are equally committed to enhancing lives and creating impactful projects. The support for building an impact measurement practice offered by the program is something we find particularly valuable. With each country in Latin America boasting its rich culture, we are eager to meet entrepreneurs tackling various challenges and to understand their approaches. This promises to be an enriching experience and a fantastic learning opportunity.

We have had the chance to hear from and meet some Solvers, who have shared their positive experiences with the program. Furthermore, the visibility afforded by MIT Solve will significantly aid us in reaching more teachers and advancing the quality of education across Latin America.

Our unique advantage lies in the fact that Califica is a tool specifically for teachers. We adhere to the Lean Startup methodology, focusing on usability and straightforward adoption. Furthermore, we embrace a Product Led Growth (PLG) strategy to fuel the expansion of our platform. PLG is a methodology that positions the product as the primary driver of customer acquisition, retention, and expansion. This approach enables us to be a data-driven company. We collect data on how our platform is used to identify opportunities and make informed decisions.

This way of working sets us apart from the competition. Our methodologies allow us to swiftly adapt to our customers' needs and enhance our product more rapidly. Additionally, we are committed to providing exceptional customer service. We want to inspire other companies and developers to prioritize user-centric design and data-driven decision-making. By demonstrating the effectiveness of building tools in close collaboration with end-users.

Califica is not just a solution; it represents an evolution in the work practices of teachers, the very individuals shaping future generations.

Purpose:
The primary purpose of Califica is to improve personal and emotional well-being for school teachers.

Inputs:

1. Community Engagement on Social Media: Creating awareness and fostering a supportive community for teachers.
2. Development of New Features: Continuously improving Califica’s platform to better meet the needs of teachers.
3. Simplified Onboarding Process: Making it easy for teachers to start using Califica.

Outputs:

1. Increased User Registration: More teachers sign up for Califica.
2. Higher Active User Rates: A greater number of teachers regularly use Califica.
3. Enhanced Tools for School Teachers: Development and deployment of more functionalities that specifically address the needs of teachers.

Outcomes:

1. Time Savings for Teachers: With the planning aspects of their work made more efficient, teachers gain back valuable hours in their days.
2. Improved Work-Life Balance: Teachers have more time to spend with family and on personal growth.
3. Professional Development Opportunities: Freed-up time allows teachers to pursue further professional development.

Impact:
By reducing workload and fostering a supportive community, Califica enables teachers to improve their personal and emotional well-being.

The impact we aim to achieve with school teachers is to enhance their personal and emotional well-being by alleviating their workload. We align with ODS 4, specifically target 4.c, which aims to substantially increase the supply of qualified teachers by 2030, including through international cooperation for teacher training in developing countries, especially in the least developed countries and small island developing states. Additionally, we support target 4.4, which seeks to significantly increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs, and entrepreneurship, by 2030.

To measure our impact, we have been conducting interviews with our users and collecting feedback such as "Muy buena la aplicación. Ya pude hacer más rápido mi trabajo y descansar temprano. Que sigan mejorando para bien de todos los maestros" or "excelente app para realizar sesiones de aprendizaje. Gracias a Califica por facilitar nuestro trabajo."

However, we are in the process of implementing an better impact measurement using a subjective well-being scale. The purpose is to measure the personal well-being of school teachers before and after using Califica.

Califica leverages artificial intelligence technology to enhance the efficiency of class preparation for teachers. We utilize analytics to make data-driven decisions, a crucial component to ensure the scalability of the project.

Our growth strategy aligns with the product-led growth model, where our product serves as the driving force at every stage, from activation to the retention of new users. This methodology not only guarantees a robust, product-focused user experience but also provides a replicable and scalable framework that can be efficiently adapted to various educational realities across different countries.

Incorporating artificial intelligence models and operating entirely on a web platform, Califica stands at the forefront of educational technology, streamlining the teaching process and offering a sophisticated, yet user-friendly solution to educators in Latin America.

- Founders: Arturo Barrera and Walter Barrera, both full-time.
- A freelancer assists with marketing efforts.

Califica was launched in 2023, with development starting in December 2022. Arturo worked part-time until November 2023, while Walter has been committed full-time since the beginning. Now we are both working fulltime

At Califica, we are a small team, yet we span different generations. Walter, my father, did not grow up with technology at his fingertips; he is not a digital native. In contrast, I witnessed the transformation from the emergence of the first cell phones. Our diverse perspectives enable us to have a better understanding of the realities faced by school teachers. We believe that individuals, regardless of their background, have something valuable to contribute.

Califica adopts a SaaS model, offering flexible subscription options to accommodate the needs of teachers across Latin America. Our pricing structure includes a monthly plan at 4 USD and an annual plan at 30 USD, designed to ensure affordability and accessibility. To introduce educators to the advantages Califica brings, we've implemented a go-to-market strategy that features a free trial period. This approach allows teachers to explore and assess the platform's full capabilities before making a commitment. Following the trial, they can easily transition to a paid subscription for continued, unlimited access.

Furthermore, we are currently exploring a freemium model in Mexico. This initiative aims to extend Califica's benefits to an even larger number of teachers by offering core services at no cost. Through this model, we hope to democratize access to educational technology and empower educators with the tools they need to enhance learning experiences for their students.

We plan to keep Califica financially stable through our subscription model, which has already proven to be profitable and self-sustaining. Looking ahead, we aim to secure additional resources to scale Califica exponentially, mainly grants and possibly raising investment capital, but our immediate focus is on achieving product-market fit.

Currently, we operate on a B2C model to reach the end users of our solution directly, which enables us to iterate and improve our product more rapidly. Additionally, we are exploring the possibility of shifting to B2B or B2G models, which could allow us to scale faster and relieve teachers from the financial responsibility of paying for our solution.