AI literacy game for teens.

AIKreate addresses the pressing need for comprehensive AI education among teenagers between 12 to 17 years old, bridging the gap between the increasing importance of artificial intelligence (AI) and the lack of formal education in this domain within traditional school systems. The rapid advancement of AI technologies has become a defining characteristic of the 21st century, permeating various aspects of society from healthcare to finance, transportation, and beyond. However, despite its pervasive influence, many teenagers lack sufficient understanding of AI concepts and their practical implications.

One significant problem AIKreate seeks to solve is the deficiency in AI literacy among teenagers. As AI continues to shape the future workforce and daily life, individuals must possess foundational knowledge to navigate and thrive in an AI-driven world. Without adequate education in AI, teenagers risk being ill-prepared for future careers and decision-making roles, hindering their competitiveness in the job market and ability to contribute meaningfully to society.

Moreover, the lack of formal AI education in schools exacerbates existing inequalities in access to technology and opportunities for personal and professional growth. Students from underserved communities or schools with limited resources may not have access to AI education programs or tools, widening the digital divide and perpetuating socio-economic disparities. AIKreate aims to democratize access to AI education by providing a user-friendly platform that is accessible to teenagers regardless of their geographical location or socio-economic background.

Furthermore, AIKreate addresses the challenge of engaging teenagers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) subjects, particularly AI, which can often be perceived as complex or intimidating. By gamifying the learning experience and integrating social elements such as community building and collaboration, AIKreate makes AI education interactive, enjoyable, and relatable for teenagers. Through hands-on activities and the opportunity to create their own AI projects, teenagers develop not only technical skills but also critical thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork abilities, essential for success in the digital age.

Additionally, AIKreate responds to the need for practical, experiential learning opportunities that go beyond theoretical knowledge. While traditional educational approaches may focus on rote memorization or abstract concepts, AIKreate empowers teenagers to apply AI principles in real-world contexts, fostering creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship. By enabling teens to design and implement their AI projects, AIKreate nurtures an entrepreneurial mindset and prepares them to become active participants in shaping the future of AI technology.

In summary, AIKreate addresses the critical need for AI literacy among teenagers by providing an accessible, engaging, and practical platform for learning and experimentation. By equipping teenagers with AI knowledge and skills, AIKreate empowers them to navigate the complexities of the digital age, contribute meaningfully to society, and pursue fulfilling careers in STEM-related fields.

AIKreate is an innovative app accessible on smartphones, iPads, or Chromebooks, uniquely designed to be managed and customized by educators through a user-friendly PC dashboard. This multifaceted platform consists of three integral components, offering a comprehensive solution to empower teenagers with AI literacy and practical skills while fostering a supportive and collaborative learning environment.

1. The Game: AIKreate presents an immersive game where students embark on a thrilling journey across galaxies, planets, and satellites. Their mission? To assist a group of AI robots in ensuring the ethical use of AI throughout the universe. Through this captivating storyline, students navigate a non-linear curriculum covering ethics, data science, mathematics, and coding. The game's dynamic challenges and engaging quests serve as pathways for students to become proficient AI developers, earning rewards and accolades along the way. This gamified approach makes learning enjoyable and encourages active participation in mastering AI concepts and skills.

2. Community Support: Central to AIKreate is its vibrant community of students and teachers dedicated to AI education. Here, members support and motivate each other as they tackle challenges within the game and beyond. This collaborative environment fosters the development of essential soft skills such as teamwork, empathy, and cross-cultural understanding. Through shared experiences and interactions, students not only enhance their AI knowledge but also cultivate valuable interpersonal skills critical for success in the digital age.

3. Toolbox for AI Creation: AIKreate equips students with a comprehensive toolbox containing a variety of tools to create their AI models. From simple chatbots to complex machine learning algorithms, students have access to a range of resources to bring their AI ideas to life. This hands-on approach empowers students to explore AI technology, experiment with different techniques, and unleash their creativity in designing AI solutions tailored to their interests and goals.

In summary, AIKreate's three-pronged approach combines immersive gaming experiences, community collaboration, and practical AI tools to provide teenagers with a holistic AI education. By engaging students in a captivating game, fostering a supportive community, and providing the necessary tools for AI creation, AIKreate enables students to develop both the technical expertise and soft skills needed to thrive in an AI-driven world.

AIKreate's solution serves teenagers aged 12-17, educators, and schools, providing them with a transformative platform for AI education that offers numerous benefits and impacts on their lives.

For Teenagers: AIKreate offers a dynamic and engaging learning experience that equips teenagers with essential AI literacy and practical skills. Through the immersive game, students embark on an exciting journey across galaxies, planets, and satellites, where they tackle challenges related to ethics, data science, mathematics, and coding. This gamified approach makes learning about AI enjoyable and interactive, motivating students to actively participate and explore complex concepts in a supportive environment. By mastering AI skills and earning rewards along the way, teenagers develop a sense of achievement and confidence in their abilities, preparing them for future academic and career opportunities in STEM fields.

Moreover, AIKreate's community aspect fosters connections and collaborations among teenagers from diverse backgrounds, promoting cross-cultural understanding and empathy. By engaging with peers and educators in shared experiences and discussions, students develop valuable soft skills such as teamwork, communication, and problem-solving, which are essential for success in the digital age and beyond.

For Educators and Schools: AIKreate empowers educators and schools to deliver high-quality AI education tailored to the needs and interests of their students. With the user-friendly PC dashboard, teachers can easily manage and customize the app's content, curriculum, and challenges to align with their educational objectives and standards. This flexibility allows educators to adapt the AIKreate platform to suit various learning environments and classroom settings, whether in traditional classrooms, afterschool programs, or remote learning environments.

Additionally, AIKreate provides educators with valuable insights and analytics on students' progress and engagement, enabling them to track learning outcomes and identify areas for improvement. By leveraging these data-driven insights, educators can personalize instruction, provide targeted support, and ensure that all students have the opportunity to succeed in their AI learning journey.

Overall, AIKreate's solution has a profound impact on the lives of teenagers, educators, and schools by democratizing access to AI education, fostering a culture of collaboration and innovation, and equipping the next generation with the knowledge and skills they need to thrive in an AI-driven world.

Our journey with AI education began over eight years ago, long before AI gained widespread recognition as a transformative force, at a PBL-based school in Barcelona, Spain, which was founded 56 years ago and is currently one of the most innovative schools in Southern Europe, Spain. Recognizing the importance of preparing teenagers for the AI-driven future, we pioneered AI education literacy by laying the foundation for what would later become AIKreate.

Our dedication to AI education caught the attention of experts at MIT, where our idea for AIKreate was selected during a prestigious bootcamp. Inspired by this validation and eager to further develop our vision, we established our company in Boston and relocated here to immerse ourselves in the vibrant innovation ecosystem of the city.

This journey underscores our deep commitment to empowering teenagers with AI literacy and practical skills, fueled by our belief in the transformative power of education. Our experience in Barcelona and subsequent validation from MIT have shaped our approach to AIKreate, driving us to create a solution that is impactful, innovative, and accessible to learners around the world.

AIKreate, having secured second place in the Special AI Track at GesAwards 2023, is embarking on an exciting new phase. Collaborating with the NGO AppleSeeds, AIKreate is set to commence a pilot program in Israel, furthering its reach and impact. Additionally, AIKreate is on the verge of finalizing presales agreements with after-school activities companies in Latin America, as well as schools in the USA.

We are applying to Solve because we believe in the power of collaboration and collective action to address complex global challenges. Solve's mission aligns closely with our own goals of empowering teenagers with AI literacy and practical skills, and we see Solve as a valuable partner in advancing our solution and amplifying its impact.

As a young and innovative company, we face various barriers that Solve can help us overcome, particularly in the areas of financial support, technical expertise, and market access. While we are passionate about our mission and have made significant progress in developing our solution, we recognize that we need additional resources and support to scale our impact and reach more communities around the world.

Financial Support: One of the key barriers we face is securing the necessary funding to further develop and scale our solution. As a bootstrapped startup, we have limited resources and are seeking additional funding to support our growth initiatives, including expanding our team, enhancing our technology platform, and reaching new markets. Solve's network of partners and investors can provide valuable financial support to help us accelerate our growth and achieve our goals.

Technical Expertise: In addition to financial support, we also require technical expertise to overcome various challenges related to software development, data analytics, and AI technology. Solve's network of experts and mentors can provide invaluable guidance and support in these areas, helping us overcome technical barriers and optimize our solution for maximum impact.

Market Access: Finally, we face barriers related to market access and distribution, particularly in reaching underserved communities and scaling our solution globally. Solve's network of partners and collaborators can help us identify strategic opportunities for expansion, forge partnerships with schools and educational organizations, and navigate regulatory and cultural challenges in different regions. By leveraging Solve's global network and expertise, we can overcome market barriers and accelerate the adoption of our solution worldwide.

Overall, we believe that Solve can play a crucial role in helping us overcome the financial, technical, legal, cultural, and market barriers we face, enabling us to scale our solution and empower even more teenagers with AI literacy and practical skills. We are excited about the opportunity to collaborate with Solve and its partners to make a meaningful impact on the future of education and workforce development.

By combining gamification, community building, and practical AI tools, AIKreate catalyzes broader positive impacts in the AI education space by:

- Inspiring other educational initiatives to adopt innovative approaches to teaching AI, such as gamification and community building, to enhance student engagement and learning outcomes.

- Encouraging collaboration and knowledge sharing among educators, schools, and organizations to develop best practices and resources for AI education.

- Empowering teenagers from diverse backgrounds to pursue careers in AI and related fields, thereby fostering diversity and inclusion in the technology sector.

- Transforming the perception of AI education from intimidating and inaccessible to engaging and empowering, making it more accessible to learners of all ages and backgrounds.

Overall, AIKreate has the potential to change the market landscape by revolutionizing the way AI education is delivered, experienced, and perceived, ultimately empowering a new generation of AI leaders and innovators to shape the future of technology and society.

The theory of change underlying AIKreate is straightforward yet potent, linking our activities to immediate and long-term outcomes that collectively equip teenagers with fundamental knowledge and practical skills in artificial intelligence.

A. Activities:
- Develop an immersive game-based platform that introduces teenagers to AI concepts through engaging challenges and missions.
- Foster a supportive online community where students can collaborate, share ideas, and support each other in their AI learning journey.
- Provide a comprehensive AI toolbox and hands-on AI resources for students to create their AI models and projects.
- Collaborate with schools, educational organizations, and community groups to integrate AI education into formal curricula and extracurricular activities.

B. Immediate Results:
- Increased engagement and participation of adolescents in AI education.
- Creation of AI projects and models by students using the tools and resources provided by AIKreate, showcased through user-generated content.
- Development of essential soft skills such as teamwork, communication, and problem-solving.
- Increased confidence and interest in pursuing AI-related careers and understanding AI as a powerful tool for personal and professional development.

C. Long-term Outcomes:
- Empowered teenagers with basic AI knowledge and practical skills, enabling them to navigate the complexities of the digital age and make informed decisions about technology and society.
- Increased diversity and inclusion in the AI workforce, as more teenagers from diverse backgrounds feel inspired and equipped to pursue careers in AI and related fields.
- Positive social impact stemming from innovative AI solutions and projects created by AIKreate users, driving innovation and positive change in various industries and sectors.
- General adoption of AI literacy in schools around the world.

Overall, the theory of change underlying AIKreate illustrates how our activities lead to immediate and long-term outcomes that collectively empower teenagers with AI literacy and practical skills, ultimately contributing to a more inclusive, equitable, and innovative future.

Our impact goals for AIKreate encompass empowering teenagers with AI literacy and practical skills, fostering diversity and inclusion in the AI workforce, and driving positive social impact through innovative AI solutions. We aim to measure our progress towards these goals through various indicators, including the number of schools integrating AI literacy into their curricula.

Empowering Teenagers with AI Literacy and Practical Skills:

• Goal: Equip teenagers with fundamental knowledge and practical skills in artificial intelligence, enabling them to navigate the complexities of the digital age and make informed decisions about technology and society.
• Measurement: Number of active users on the AIKreate platform; Completion rates of AI challenges and missions; Pre- and post-assessment scores measuring AI knowledge and skills; User satisfaction surveys and feedback on learning experience and outcomes.

Fostering Diversity and Inclusion in the AI Workforce:

• Goal: Increase diversity and inclusion in the AI workforce by inspiring and empowering teenagers from diverse backgrounds to pursue careers in AI and related fields.
• Measurement: Demographic data on AIKreate users, including gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic background, and geographic location: Number of AIKreate users from underrepresented groups (e.g., women, minorities, low-income communities); Success stories and testimonials from AIKreate users from diverse backgrounds who have pursued careers or educational opportunities in AI.

Driving Positive Social Impact through Innovative AI Solutions:

• Goal: Stimulate innovation and positive change in various industries and sectors through the creation of innovative AI solutions and projects by AIKreate users.
• Measurement: Number of AI projects and models created by AIKreate users; Impact assessment of AI projects, including metrics such as efficiency gains, cost savings, environmental impact, and social benefit; Recognition and awards received by AIKreate users for their AI projects and contributions to positive social change.

Additionally, we aim to track the number of schools integrating AI literacy into their curricula as an indicator of our broader impact on education. This metric will help us assess the reach and influence of AIKreate in shaping educational practices and preparing future generations for the AI-driven world. By monitoring these indicators, we can evaluate our progress towards our impact goals and continuously improve our efforts to empower teenagers and drive positive change through AI education.

AIKreate is powered by a blend of modern technology and innovative pedagogical methods to deliver an engaging and effective AI education experience for teenagers. Our platform encompasses a sophisticated software system that integrates gamification, community building, and practical AI tools to engage learners and facilitate meaningful learning outcomes.

At the heart of AIKreate lies its gamified learning platform, which provides teenagers with a dynamic and interactive environment to explore AI concepts and develop practical skills. Through gamification techniques such as quests, challenges, and rewards, learners are motivated to actively engage with AI content and progress through the curriculum at their own pace.

Furthermore, AIKreate incorporates social networking features to foster a sense of community among learners. Users can collaborate, share ideas, and support each other in their AI learning journey through online forums, chatrooms, and collaborative projects. This community-driven approach enhances engagement and facilitates peer-to-peer learning experiences.
In addition, AIKreate offers a comprehensive toolbox of practical AI tools and resources that empower learners to create their AI models and projects. From basic chatbots to advanced machine learning algorithms, students have access to a wide range of tools and tutorials to experiment, innovate, and unleash their creativity in AI development.

An essential component of AIKreate's technology platform is its adaptive learning algorithms, which essentially function as AI solutions. These algorithms personalize the learning experience for each user based on their individual preferences, progress, and learning objectives. By analyzing user data and behavior, the platform dynamically adjusts content, challenges, and recommendations to optimize engagement and learning outcomes.

Moreover, AIKreate provides educators with a user-friendly dashboard to monitor student progress, track engagement, and assess learning outcomes. Teachers can access detailed analytics and insights to inform instructional decisions, identify areas for improvement, and tailor instruction to meet the needs of individual learners.

Overall, AIKreate leverages the power of modern technology, including adaptive learning algorithms, to democratize access to AI education and foster a culture of innovation and collaboration among teenagers. By integrating AI-driven solutions into its platform, AIKreate exemplifies the transformative potential of AI in education, empowering the next generation of AI leaders and changemakers.

Full-time: 2

Part-time: 2

Contractors: 4

Two years.

At AIKreate, diversity, equity, and inclusion are core values. We actively seek to promote diversity at all levels and implement inclusive hiring practices. Furthermore, going forward, we aim to regularly assess progress and hold ourselves accountable for creating a welcoming environment where everyone feels valued and respected.

Our business model revolves around bringing value to our main customers and beneficiaries, teenagers between the ages of 12 and 17 and their educators. We offer a comprehensive AI educational platform that includes gamified learning experiences, AI-based assessment tools and a supportive community environment.

For our teen users, AIKreate offers engaging and interactive learning experiences that make learning about artificial intelligence fun and accessible. They want and need AIKreate because it enables them to understand and engage with AI technology, preparing them for future academic and career opportunities in the digital age.

For educators, AIKreate provides valuable resources and support to enhance their teaching practices and improve student outcomes. Our platform offers data-driven insights, personalized learning experiences and professional development opportunities that enable educators to effectively integrate AI education into their curricula and meet the diverse needs of their students.

Our revenue model is primarily subscription-based, with schools, educational institutions and after-school programs purchasing licenses for their students and educators to access AIKreate. In addition, we offer premium features, such as ad hoc training and customization options, as sales opportunities to generate additional revenue. 

Through this business model, we are able to provide value to our customers in a sustainable way while driving a positive impact on AI education.

Our strategy for financial sustainability involves bootstrapping while actively seeking grants and leveraging opportunities offered by programs like SOLVE.

Bootstrapping allows us to manage costs effectively and generate revenue through our subscription-based model. This approach ensures our income streams cover operational expenses and contribute to growth.

We pursue grants from philanthropic organizations, government agencies, and foundations supporting education, technology, and social impact. These grants fund research, development, and expansion efforts, enabling wider access to our AI education platform.

Participating in programs like SOLVE provides mentorship, networking, and access to resources, aiding in refining our model and validating impact to attract further support.

This balanced approach combines bootstrapping, grant funding, and program participation to achieve financial sustainability while maximizing impact and reach in AI education.