Adult Literacy XPRIZE Finalists and new Communities Competition

Hello Colleagues,

As you may know, the Adult Literacy XPRIZE has announced its five finalist apps to help native speakers of English and immigrants learning English who are at a basic level. The apps run on Android smartphones and, in some cases, also on iPhones.

The five finalists are:

AmritaCREATE

AutoCognita

Cell-Ed

Learning Upgrade

People ForWords

The XPRIZE Foundation has also announced a new phase called the Communities Competition. The prize purse is $1 million that will be distributed to winning communities and organizations across the United States that enable the largest numbers of low-literacy adults to “download and use a free, effective, convenient and private mobile learning tool.” The XPRIZE Foundation will provide the educational apps. The communities’ task is to get the apps into the hands of adult learners. In the communities competition there will not be a required pre- or post-test, just evidence of use of the apps.

The communities competition has two phases that are described this way by the XPRIZE Foundation:

In Phase 1, tell us how you will revolutionize adult education in your community. We will award $10,000 each to the 50 best proposals.

In Phase 2, the three competitors who recruit the most people to download and use these free, proven-effective apps will win a share of an additional $500,000.

As a competitor, you will tackle the problem of adult literacy in your community by putting free learning tools in the hands of those who need them most, so learning can happen anytime, anywhere.

XPRIZE will provide the tools – free, field-tested mobile apps – and $1,000,000 in prize money to the educational institution, non-profit, NGO, government agency, company, corporation or person who submits the most innovative proposals in phase 1 and the most success [in] distribution of the literacy apps in phase 2.

For more information and to register

If you have questions, you could post them here, and we will try to get answers for you from the XPRIZE Foundation.

David J. Rosen, Moderator

LINCS CoP Integrating Technology group

 

 

Comments

David & Community,

We at Learning Upgrade are excited to be one of the five finalists and encourage programs to apply for the Communities Competition.  Registering is not difficult, and with 50 winners of $10,000 just based on the application, this is a great way to fund a new initiative to expand access to learning in your program.

Also, we offer no-cost licenses to try our smartphone app with your learners now. Just fill out a simple form and you can start on-boarding your learners:

https://web.learningupgrade.com/pilot-request/

By getting experience using a smartphone literacy app with learners now, you can better prepare for the Communities Competition.

I also encourage you to contact the other teams for pilots.  This is a great group of people dedicated to helping adult educators and learners.

Best wishes,

Vinod Lobo, Learning Upgrade