Five finalists aim to shape tomorrow’s learning environments through inclusivity, accessibility, and AI innovation
SALT LAKE CITY, March 12, 2024 (Globe Newswire) — WGU Labs, a leader in accelerating education innovation, today announced five finalists for its inaugural Accelerator Pitch Competition. The finalists, selected from over 60 entries, exemplify the competition's entrepreneurial spirit of identifying and supporting innovative solutions that transform education through technology.
Finalist companies include:
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REACH pathway: REACH Pathways addresses challenges faced by first-generation and low-income students through a video game-inspired platform that provides community, mentorship, and financial assistance. This innovative approach prepares students for in-demand careers, improves student outcomes, and fosters social mobility by providing a sense of belonging, practical advice, and access to financial resources. Create a direct path to success for underserved students.
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Hard worker: Studious helps busy professionals learn through an AI-driven gamified learning assistant. By leveraging cognitive and behavioral science, Studious democratizes access to high-quality upskilling and test preparation, empowering everyone to effectively acquire skills, enhance knowledge, and advance their careers. I'll make it.
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alma learning: Alma Learning uses AI “Socratic” teacher replicas to help time-pressed educators provide personalized instruction, overcome student motivation decline, and improve learning outcomes. can. This approach emphasizes quality and personalization through expert collaboration and research that enhances understanding, critical thinking, and lifelong learning and goes beyond mere content delivery.
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make space: Making Space addresses unemployment for workers with disabilities by offering free, employer-sponsored courses tailored to industry needs, combined with advanced talent-to-career matching technology. This initiative fosters long-term success, diversifies the workforce, counters prejudice against people with disabilities, and establishes benchmarks for inclusive employment.
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Apply AI: applyAI provides personalized AI coaching to fill the void in career guidance, helping users identify strengths, translate their skills into a compelling story for their applications, and navigate the job search process. We support. Its goal is to increase self-confidence, secure better jobs and ensure equal opportunities for all.
The competition focuses on five key areas: personalized learning paths, skills-based recruitment solutions, AI-powered learning support, developing underrepresented talent, and simplifying access to financial aid. I did. These topics were chosen for their potential to revolutionize the learning experience and make education more accessible, inclusive and effective.
The finalists were selected through a rigorous application process to identify ventures that not only have the potential to transform the education sector, but are led by teams capable of realizing their vision.
“Each of the finalists featured in the inaugural Accelerator Pitch Competition embodies our mission to revolutionize education through technology,” said Brad Bernatek, WGU Labs Managing Director of Accelerators . The transformative power of AI in education. From personalized learning pathways that serve underserved communities to AI-driven platforms that redefine how professionals upskill, finalists will be at the forefront of the key challenges in today's education landscape. It is working. Their approach emphasizes the importance of: It leverages technology to improve learning outcomes and reflects a deeper understanding of the diverse needs of learners across the country. ”
The five finalists will attend the 2024 ASU+GSV Summit in April to meet a panel of senior WGU leaders along with an audience of investors, stakeholders, and higher education leaders. propose a solution. The winner of the contest will receive her $50,000 cash investment in equity from the WGU Labs Fund, her $25,000 in services from the WGU Labs Accelerator, and up to $25,000 of her WGU investment to support future growth. Receive a paid pilot.
In 2023, WGU Labs collaborated with 17 higher education institutions and 10 EdTech companies, conducted 16 research activities, and invested $850,000 in EdTech startups, demonstrating its broad impact across the education sector. Ta.
About WGU Lab
WGU Labs is the nonprofit EdTech consulting, incubation, research, and design arm of Western Governors University, and our mission is to identify and support scalable solutions that address the biggest challenges in education today . WGU Labs' Accelerator provides research, market development, and product enhancement services to early-stage education businesses. Through these services and financial investments, accelerators advance the scale and impact of education companies that share our mission to increase student access, reduce student costs, and improve student outcomes. For more information, visit wgulabs.org or follow us on LinkedIn.
CONTACT: Natalie Berkey WGU Labs 385-428-9425 natalie.berkey@wgu.edu