SmartStart: A platform for every child's voice to be heard

[Meena Ramakrishnan]

Your Name: Meena Ramakrishnan

Grade Level: 11

School or Organization Name: SmartStart Inc.

Co-Presenter Name(s): N/A

Area of the World from Which You Will Present: United States

Language in Which You Will Present: English

Target Audience(s): School children, educators, and parents

Short Session Description (one line):

SmartStart aims to promote and expand educational opportunities through online platforms, so that all children have the access to education that they deserve.

Full Session Description (as long as you would like):

When SmartStart Inc was first created, our first and foremost goal was to connect students by bringing quality education closer to them. Access to educational opportunities is a right every child should have, and with a resource as ubiquitous as the Internet, online platforms became the foundation of achieving our goals. Innovative platforms like Nepris helped students from all around the country connect with each other and learn in unprecedented ways.
A couple months ago, along with Nepris, we hosted an Hour of Code for 5 different classrooms. The children learned basic coding techniques, using beloved characters such as R2D2 from Star Wars, and Elsa from Frozen, ensuring that the knowledge they had gained that day reached both their hearts and minds. Engaging them with easy to read color blocks and simple maneuvering techniques, the students were surprised to learn that they had created their very first game.
A multitude of online resources are free, like Hour of Code, providing ample opportunity to all children, regardless of their socio-economic background. Internet tools also allows a student to pave his or her own road by learning more than what a traditional classroom holds. Programming topics such as Java maybe unavailable in a classroom setting, but online, kids can cultivate their interests with unrivaled amounts of options. Furthermore, with video chat capabilities, students can truly connect with mentors and teachers perhaps in a more efficient manner than traditional face-to-face settings, by reaching out to larger audiences simultaneously.
By translating technological platforms into a meaningful opportunity for students to explore what they love, we can finally close the inequity gap in educational access.

Websites / URLs Associated with Your Session: smartstartinitiative.org