ScholarShine

ScholarShine´s Mission:

Our mission is to empower students to discover their true potential and draw the path toward a fulfilling professional life. We strive to provide innovative tools, specialized mentorship, and growth opportunities that enable them to develop relevant skills and make informed decisions about their academic and professional future.

ScholarShine´s Vision:

Our vision is to become the benchmark in the field of career exploration and professional development for students. We strive to be a leading platform offering personalized educational experiences, supported by cutting-edge technology and guidance from experts in various industries. We aspire to be recognized for our positive impact on the lives of students and the community, helping them achieve success and fulfillment in their professional journeys.

ScholarShine core Beliefs are: 

 1. Democratize easier and accesible quality education 

 2. Provide learning opportunities to younguer generations in Latin America 

 3. Embrace and Drive Change in actual education 

 4. Pursue Growth and Learning in high-schoolers 

 Our core values are: Integrity, Empathy, Critical Thinking, Action Learning, innovation, creativity and trust. 

As the team lead for ScholarShine, I play a key role in defining the vision and strategy for our project. My focus is on providing equal opportunities for students in the region, with an emphasis on the social component to create better professionals and diversify careers and roles, facilitating the transition from high school to university and the workforce.

I lead a small team of three individuals with specific roles based on their skills and areas of expertise. My team shares a strong social motivation, which makes it easier to work toward common goals. This is evident in our shared commitment to helping others through our experience.

In terms of project management, I create tasks in the ScholarShine CRM, establish connections with parents and organizations, and ideate and structure workshops in schools for teachers and students. I also analyze data from participants and distribute reports to educational organization leaders.

Our  team is composed of skilled professionals with diverse backgrounds and expertise, all contributing to the success of our educational platform and the LEAP Project. The Journey Designer focuses on scheduled exploratory testing with personalized results for each individual. They also provide support in workshops, addressing topics related to integration and dynamics grounded in psychology.

Our CTO has a wealth of experience in web creation, structuring, and design, ensuring that our digital presence is both functional and user-friendly. Meanwhile, our advisors work collaboratively with us, offering operational support, refining financial structures, and assisting in the development of marketing strategies.

The team is committed to providing exceptional service and possesses a range of skills such as sales, data analysis, psychology, education, and structuring. This versatility allows us to easily collaborate with other teams within the organization, including marketing and product development, to achieve our goals efficiently.

By combining our expertise in time management, diversity, and integration, we work cohesively to support the LEAP Project and deliver impactful results. This multidisciplinary approach allows us to navigate various challenges and adapt to the evolving needs of our clients and the project.

Mentess is an online program helping high school students explore future-oriented careers based on their abilities and personality traits.

The problem that Mentess seeks to address is the lack of proper guidance and support for high school students in Latin America when it comes to making decisions about their professional futures. Each year, 165 million students go through this crucial stage of their lives, which is key in defining their future trajectory. Despite the efforts of many schools in the region, 58% of these students still face uncertainty about their professional futures due to the lack of organized and accurate information, as well as the absence of guidance and connections in their areas of interest.

This uncertainty can lead students to make poor career choices, which may result in university dropout or dissatisfaction with their studies. These incorrect decisions can negatively impact students' future opportunities and the broader economy by contributing to a shortage of professionals in innovative and diverse career fields beyond traditional ones.

Moreover, this situation can generate early frustrations and impostor syndrome in young people, affecting their self-esteem and confidence in their abilities. From the perspective of educational institutions, the loss of university enrollment and student dissatisfaction are also significant concerns.

This problem is particularly relevant in Latin America, where gaps in the quality of education and access to resources are more pronounced compared to other regions. Students may face additional barriers related to socioeconomic inequality, which further hinders their access to proper guidance and networking opportunities.

Therefore, our solution Mentess aims to address these gaps by offering an accessible and affordable platform that guides students in exploring different careers and industries based on their skills and personality traits. By providing them with organized information and opportunities to connect with professionals, we help students across the region to make more informed decisions and build career paths that are relevant and satisfying for them and their contributions to their own countries.

Mentess is an online program that empowers students aged 14 to 18 to make informed career choices and develop relevant skills for the future of work. We achieve this through a multi-faceted approach that includes personalized career paths, skill development, and practical experience.

First, we provide students with a machine learning-powered career exploratory test that assesses their abilities and personality traits. This personalized assessment gives students a clear understanding of their interests and strengths, enabling them to explore potential career paths that align with their unique profile.

Next, our platform offers an educational directory where students can enroll in short courses across various industries. These courses allow students to gain knowledge and skills in areas they are interested in pursuing further. By offering exposure to different fields, we help students make informed decisions about their future career paths.

Additionally, we provide an experience directory where students can engage with industry professionals and gain hands-on experience in various fields. This component allows students to observe real-world applications of their interests, providing them with insight into potential careers and the skills required for success.

Our platform fosters mentorship and networking opportunities, connecting students with professionals who can offer guidance, support, and insight into their chosen fields. These relationships help students build professional networks and increase their confidence in navigating their career paths.

Furthermore, our solution is designed to be low-cost and highly scalable, making it accessible to a wide range of students across Latin America. This accessibility ensures that all students have the opportunity to benefit from our platform and make informed decisions about their education and careers.

By equipping students with the tools and opportunities they need to pursue future-oriented careers, we contribute to sustainable development goals such as Quality Education and Gender Equality. Our approach fosters a more diverse and equitable workforce, benefiting both individuals and society as a whole.

To date, our organization has conducted various types of research and studies that have helped demonstrate the effectiveness of our solution. We have performed  literature reviews and desktop research, to establish a solid knowledge base and identify the existing challenges faced by students in the transition from high school to higher education and professional careers.

Additionally, we have conducted formative research such as usability studies, feasibility studies, user interviews. These studies help us understand how students interact with our platform, assess its ease of use, and evaluate the feasibility of our services in different contexts. We regularly conduct pre- and post-evaluations with our users to gauge their experience and satisfaction with our platform. These assessments help us learn about the impact of our services on students' career clarity, confidence, and satisfaction.

Our pre-post research and process evaluations provide insights into the immediate term effects of our solution on students' career choices and educational paths. By correlating students' assessments and feedback with their subsequent academic and career progress, we can measure the success of our platform in guiding students towards informed and fulfilling career paths.

We continue to gather data and insights that can validate the effectiveness of our solution and inform ongoing improvements. This evidence-based approach allows us to better tailor our services to meet the needs of our target population and achieve our long-term goal of transforming the education-to-career pipeline in Latin America.

Through pre- and post-evaluations with our users, we have learned that our platform significantly enhances students' understanding of their own interests, strengths, and potential career paths. Students who utilize our machine learning-powered assessments gain greater clarity in their career decision-making process.

Our usability and feasibility studies have revealed areas where our platform can be improved for better user experience and engagement. For instance, feedback from students has led us to refine our interface for more intuitive navigation and to expand our course offerings to include a broader range of industries and skills.

Case studies and user interviews have shown that students who engage with industry professionals through our mentorship opportunities gain valuable insights and hands-on experience in various fields. This direct exposure to professional environments boosts students' confidence and readiness for their future careers.

The data also highlight the importance of ongoing support and guidance for students as they navigate their educational and professional journeys. As a result, we have implemented additional resources and support systems within our Learning Management System to provide students with personalized guidance throughout their career exploration.

Our organization recognizes the importance of building a strong evidence base to demonstrate the effectiveness of our solution and expand our reach across the region. While we have already conducted a range of research and utilized studies such as Microsoft's Future of Work, Coursera's Future of Work, and MIT's Career Guides for high school students, as well as insights from our team's expertise in psychology and education in Latin America, we understand the need to further validate our approach.

We have participated in important discussions on education and career readiness at events such as the In-Kind conversations in our country, engaging with universities and stakeholders. Despite these efforts, we acknowledge that a more robust and comprehensive evidence base is necessary to support our claims and enhance our credibility, particularly when seeking partnerships with larger organizations and educational institutions across the region.

We are keen to utilize AI technology to tailor additional information based on specific country and regional contexts. This is an area where we need support, as we recognize the impact of AI and its responsible use, as well as its potential to advance and enhance the education system. By leveraging AI effectively, we can provide more personalized and relevant guidance to students, ensuring a better alignment with their career aspirations and the local job market.

By enhancing our evidence base and integrating AI, we can better demonstrate the positive impact of our solution on students' career paths and educational outcomes. This, in turn, will help us establish stronger partnerships with educational institutions, industry stakeholders, and potential funders, ultimately expanding our reach and impact in Latin America.

1. How does the integration of AI-driven personalized career guidance affect students' career clarity and decision-making process compared to traditional methods?

2. What are the short-term and long-term economic and social outcomes for students who participate in the program compared to those who do not?

3. How do industry professionals perceive the preparedness and capabilities of students who have completed the program, and how does this perception influence their willingness to offer their experience and volunteering mentorship to guide others to get internships and job opportunities?

1. Foundational Research (Literature Reviews, Desktop Research):

• Output: A comprehensive review of existing literature and research studies related to career guidance, AI integration in education, and the future of work. This includes gathering insights from reputable sources.

Formative Research (Usability Studies, Feasibility Studies, Case Studies, User Interviews, Implementation Studies, Process Evaluations, Pre-post or Multi-measure Research, Correlational Studies):

• Output: Detailed feedback and insights on the usability and feasibility of your solution from students, educators, and other stakeholders. This includes pre- and post-evaluations and user interviews to understand the user experience and identify areas for improvement.

Summative Research (Impact Evaluations, Correlational Studies, Quasi-experimental Studies, Randomized Control Studies):

• Output: An analysis of the impact of your solution on students' career clarity, decision-making, and future prospects. This may involve measuring changes in career choices, satisfaction, and outcomes among students who used your platform compared to those who did not.

After the conclusion of the LEAP Project sprint, our organization plans to put the outputs into action in the following ways:

1. Informing Platform Improvements: The insights gathered from foundational, formative, and summative research will be used to guide iterative improvements to our platform. This includes refining the machine learning assessments, enhancing the Learning Management System (LMS), and optimizing the user experience based on usability studies and user feedback.

2. Tailoring Content and Support: We will leverage the data collected from pre- and post-evaluations and user interviews to tailor our content and support to meet the specific needs and preferences of our target audience. This may involve developing new short courses, refining existing ones, and customizing mentorship and networking opportunities.

3. Impact Evaluation and Reporting: The summative research findings will enable us to evaluate the impact of our solution on students' career clarity and satisfaction. We will use this data to produce reports and case studies that demonstrate the effectiveness of our program. These materials will be shared with potential partners, stakeholders, and funders to showcase the value of our solution.

4. Strategic Planning and Scaling: The outputs from the LEAP Project sprint will inform our strategic planning and decision-making processes. We will use the data and insights to identify opportunities for scaling our program to reach a broader audience in Latin America and beyond.

5. Continued Research and Development: The findings from the sprint will help us identify areas for further research and development. We will use this information to explore new approaches, such as the responsible use of AI in education, and to enhance our evidence base for continuous improvement.

Our desired long-term outcomes from the 12-week LEAP Project sprint encompass both organizational and solution-focused goals. 

For our organization, we aim to enhance our capacity to deliver impactful educational services, refine our methodologies, and strengthen our partnerships with industry professionals. This will enable us to offer more personalized and effective career guidance to students, which aligns with our mission to promote equitable access to high-quality education.

For our solution, we anticipate improved assessment tools and a stronger evidence base supporting our approach to guiding students in making informed career decisions. The project sprint will provide us with actionable insights and data to optimize our platform, ensuring it remains relevant and responsive to the evolving needs of students and educators.

Additionally, the sprint's research findings will inform our strategic planning and decision-making processes, leading to the development of new features and programs that cater to the diverse needs of students across the region. By integrating AI-driven insights and advancements, we aim to offer a tailored experience for students, fostering greater engagement and success in their educational journeys.

The long-term outcomes will be reflected in our ability to positively impact the future of work by empowering students with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to pursue fulfilling careers and contribute meaningfully to society. Through sustained collaboration and continuous improvement, we aspire to create a transformative educational ecosystem that benefits both students and their communities.