SUBSUME

The specific problem we are solving is to positively impact Math Outcomes for underestimated students in Black and Latino communities worldwide. More than 100 million students globally fail a math-centric subject every year or about one-sixth of the world's student population.  From global pandemics to accessibility to sustainable learning models and lack of career connectivity, the gap in education in these particular communities is at critical levels.  As global education becomes more dependent on technology with an emphasis on technically oriented skill paths, the disproportionate spaces widen even more.

Trend data from the National Assessment for Educational Progress shows that 9-year-old US students scored, on average, seven points lower in math in 2022 than their pre-pandemic peers in 2022.   Specifically for Black students, the gap widened by 12 points from 2020 levels, in contrast to 5 points for white students.  Where the disproportion was at 25 points in 2020, it grew to 33 points between them in 2022.  

According to the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), global students lost the equivalent of three-quarters of a year of learning math, with countries that kept schools closed longer seeing bigger declines.

Teacher shortages, complacent learning models, and accessibility for neurodivergent and differently-abled learners only expand this exponential crisis that sets the stage for math decline as the next global pandemic.

We want learners to play video games for homework.

Our solution is to create a gamified educational system that will sustainably engage learners and student stakeholders in positive math outcomes.

Our solution would create customized, interactive, and complete math learning for all by leveraging accessible mobile technology, augmented reality, and artificial intelligence.

Using Unity as a basis for game development in 2D, 3D, and Augmented Reality interactions, our suite of games is built to excel in exposure and experiences in Algebra, Geometry, and Statistics math subjects.  We are working to develop data science and large language model AI capabilities to utilize student and teacher data to ideate our games, report on specific subject deficiencies within educator learning programs, and return time to teachers to focus their in-person expertise on those areas of need.

Our current mobile-ready prototype utilized Geolocation tools from Niantic to localize augmented reality interactions in safe and environmentally connected locations, such as city parks, museums, and events from verified non-profit service providers.   

We imagine a family could walk through a park with their young learners and, while at play, have positive math experiences in their local community that could be accessible to their local, cultural lifestyles. Fostering real-world movement, exploration, and curiosity around Math is our secret to high-quality learning. 

Video Link: SUBSUME - MathTalk Series "Math In The Park" Prototype:

The target population is US Black and Latine students in elementary and middle school to serve as an intervention in positive math outcomes.  We also expand our global focus to African Diasporic student populations in Africa, Latin American, and Caribbean communities. 

These are students who have historically been marginalized in traditional education systems, specifically those with math-related subjects and career paths.

Schools and education systems in their local communities are too often underfunded and understaffed, and socioeconomic barriers to entry exist regarding technology, digital and civic infrastructures, and climate security.

Our solution will create accessible, culturally conscious, and sustainable access to impactful Math education. This will meet their need to build confidence and insights into how math success can impact their educational and career goals.

Using the power of gaming and technology, we will improve lives by dispelling the myth of math as a talent for a few into math as a lifelong skill possible for all.

Dedren Snead and our company, SUBSUME, are driven to use interactive storytelling to solve global problems.

With expertise in Gaming and AI for Education and Workforce Development and a global voice for Equity In Technology, we are the right people to implement sustainable change in our communities of impact.

As a front-line educator, computer scientist and artist, Dedren Snead is dedicated to solving inequality in learning.

As of April 2024, Dedren was awarded a Ford Foundation Global Fellow assignment, specifically in utilizing Gaming and AI to close the digital divide in Education and Workforce Development.  

This compliments his 2022 Innovator In Residence designation with the US State Department during the US/Africa Summit 2022, where his work on Serious Gaming for Education and Upskilling was profiled as a solution model.

Our expertise and partnerships in collaboration with Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority Servicing Institutions in Black and Latine communities to support K-12 learning allow us the proper proximity to the students and environments we collaborate with for change.

With the capacity to ideate and develop scalable technology solutions through SUBSUME, we are confident that bolstering our global relationships can deliver opportunities for equitable futures.

Dedren Snead - Founder, SUBSUME - Ford Fellow 2024

I selected the Prototype Phase as we are currently testing our model across technology and user modeling development.  We are deepening our incorporation of AI and 5G Cellular technologies specifically for platform support.  Because we have not raised funds or received any additional partnerships in our business efforts, we are currently focused on prototype iteration and client discovery.

I am applying to MIT SOLVE because I believe that this is the right ecosystem that can understand our core mission and be an actionable partner in our shared success. We are in need of the global expertise to the right conversations to navigate our product-market-fit and allow us to scale our capacity in a meaningful way.   The respect and network that MIT would lend to validating our work would uplift our efforts and be a sign of confidence for others to join in our endeavors.  We see joining MIT SOLVE as a long-term commitment to become a foundation that the innovations of our dreams can be a reality.

Our solution at SUBSUME is innovative as we approach teaching math and STE(A)M curriculum from an interactive, culturally cognizant and accessible learning mode of Gaming.

Gaming as a medium solves several incongruities among gender, neurodiversity, technology accessibility, and connectivity as a resource space for education. 

By confronting the stigmas of math confidence in young learners and Gaming as an educational resource, we are able to leverage a global, technologically savvy and scalable platform to provide sustainable change and market penetration.   Globally, Gaming translates across borders, languages, and politics and provides a space for change to be implemented in a significant and impactful methodology.

As Gaming sits at the nexus of technological advancement and interactive media, we find the stratification of users to be found in virtually every demographic.  Building our expertise and successes in this field changes the landscape of access for learners worldwide. 

Our theory of change is to improve math outcomes for Black and Latine school-aged learners by offering gamified technology solutions to futureproof accessible education worldwide. 

We expect a point of positive change through our proven efforts of success in the global marketplaces of education, technology training, and STE(A)M development within the African Diaspora.  We see the potential of scaling our solution to better implement research-level evaluations and validation of evidence from prior cohorts of work.  In this way, we may garner immediate output into the communities of service while building legacy models of outcomes, business viability, and sustained student success. 

SUBSUME aligns with the UN Sustainable Goals' impact goals under (4) Quality Education and (8) Decent Work and Economic Growth.

By seeking inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong opportunities for learning, economic growth, and productive employment, our charge is to outline the metrics that translate best for stakeholders and for partners in measured success.

As we are in the prototype phase for our educational technology solution, we are collecting data on student outcomes through our partner academic sources.

Key indicators for our current model are the number of accessible users and stakeholder systems that would utilize our product, and data reporting on testing outcomes per client.

Our systems are built upon educator and user reporting from product time used, subjects taught, skill competency certification achieved, and ecosystem partnerships for collaborative next steps.

The core technology in our program is a technology stack of AI, Blockchain, Virtual/Augmented Reality, C# Enterprise Software Applications, Geolocation, and Mobile Service technology that bridges cultural learning and understanding with future-proof education in math and STE(A)M curriculum.

We have created our prototype for making education accessible and intrinsic to movement and learning methods while leveraging Big Data for sustainable outcomes for users and ecosystems of change.

As we develop our technology expertise and business structure, we envision a proprietary technology solution as an outcome of our research and development to serve our communities with the right product-market fit.   

Currently I, Dedren Snead, am the only full-time staff with SUBSUME.  I do note have any part-time staff, contractors or other workers outside of volunteers for on-site events.

I  have been working on this solution since the 2020 COVID pandemic.

We acknowledge and appreciate the MIT Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement. 

Our continuing effort to ensure we have diverse and equitable talent on our team has been built within our service and consultation partnership with several Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority-Serving Institutions for our research, community service, and leadership collaborations. 

As we activate across the African Diaspora of people in several countries and continents, we continue to innovate in our partnership networks and seek to invite underestimated voices to journey with us in our efforts. 

In this way, we are committed to equity in humanity while facilitating an inclusive workforce and addressing opportunities to advance all people. 

SUBSUME remains open to educating ourselves and being active in creating a future for all together.

We provide learning management systems and professional consultation for math education and student success.  Our key customers are educational systems, medium-scale service providers, and ecosystem stakeholders.   We provide these products through in-person, hybrid, remote, and technology-led deliverables that provide custom-fit engagements to learners and stakeholders.  Our clients have been Public Schools, Charter Schools, and University systems as aSoftware-As-A-Service and on-site service provider. 

Through facilitating professional development programming for educators, we have found that the pace of technology and changing standards for educational systems often make mass adoption of deep technology systems a barrier.

SUBSUME provides a scalable solution by creating student and educator materials, programs, and activations that localize inclusive technology skills and educational outcomes. 

Our SUBSUME program is funded through direct consultation services and founder investment in the business.

We anticipate a funding ecosystem centered around research and service grants, service contracting, sale of goods and services, partnerships, and raising investor capital as a roadmap of short-term revenue streams. 

In the long term, we expect to be an entrepreneurial venture that sells business support directly to our target clients in Software As A Service, Consultation, and Technology Support.