FLIPPED CLASSROOM CHALLENGE; INDIA
PROVEN INTERVENTION TO BE DISTRIBUTED
High-quality educational curricula and resources.
Learn more about the Flipped Classroom Challenge and why new education models, like flipping the classroom or deskilling a class curriculum, offer a solution to the vast teacher shortages in the developing world.
DISTRIBUTION MODEL INNOVATION
In low-income preschools across the globe, teachers stand in front of classrooms of 3 and 4-year-olds without any training in early childhood education (ECE) and without any materials to aid in play-based learning. Furthermore, low-income schools in countries like India and Bangladesh can't afford expensive, privately published curricula or the games and toys needed for age-appropriate instruction, so teachers make up lessons as they go. By lowering the cost of these materials through a subscription-based sharing model, sharEd operates as a solution provider to the affordable preschool market in India, helping schools to deliver quality education at a fraction of the cost.
Research has shown that quality preschool curricula, like Creative Curriculum, with structured step-by-step instructions can be an effective intervention even when run by an untrained teacher or facilitator. However, these products are too expensive for most schools. We realized that preschools using these products only use a fraction of their physical materials at any given time, while the rest sit on the shelf. With sharEd, instead of paying thousands of dollars to buy materials, schools can access quality resources immediately by renting one new learning unit each month for as low as $10. When schools subscribe, they get access to monthly themed lesson plans with structured activities, quality story books, and all the play materials they need for that unit.
Schools that subscribe to sharEd become part of a community of local teachers who meet every month. At monthly meetings, sharEd teachers return their materials, get a new themed lesson plan, and receive training in early education best practices and classroom management.
In order to reach customers, sharEd will leverage a two-pronged approach.
1. A top-down approach, targeting large groups of schools which are run through a public-private partnership with other non-profits and NGOs and the Indian government. These schools will pay no fee.
2. A bottom-up approach, targeting the fragmented private school market through a grassroots movement. The strategy will leverage sharEd's local teacher trainers to identify and sign up schools for a minimal monthly fee.
sharEd will operate in local markets by contracting experienced, trained teachers to rent out the materials and run monthly training sessions. These employees will be recruited by the Regional Program Director and paid a competitive rate to run training sessions.
PILOT AND SCALING GOALS
Onboard 20 preschools and reach approximately 600 children
2016-2017 school year will collect valuable feedback from pilot schools to improve the product and onboard 60 additional schools for the next school year
In 2017, scale to 80 classrooms and provide quality early education to another 2,400 children
In two years, provide quality early education to over 12,000 children and empower teachers wtih 3,300 total hours of training
In 2018, scale to 300 schools
FOUNDING TEAM
Bobby Powers - Chief Executive Officer
Nihar Shah - Chief Financial Officer
Kate Geremia - Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Procurement Officer
Derrick Wolbert - Chief Information Officer