November 2023
We are honored to announce that we have been selected as a finalist for the US National Science Foundation Vital Prize Challenge!
Here is an excerpt from the NSF Press Release announcing the finalists:
“The VITAL Prize Challenge finalists show the tremendous promise of educational technologies driving progress and inclusive practices in learning across many disciplines and fields,” said Erwin Gianchandani, NSF assistant director for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships. “We are looking forward to seeing the culmination of their hard work and the impacts their projects will have across the education marketplace.”
“VITAL Prize finalists are meeting the moment, developing tools and solutions to enhance teaching and accelerate learning,” said Romy Drucker, director of the Education Program at the Walton Family Foundation. “With NSF’s guidance and support, VITAL entrepreneurs will be poised to unleash the talent and genius of many promising young minds.”
Each of the 18 advancing teams was judged based on whether their solution fulfills a need, has strong potential to impact and improve student learning, and uses participatory and evidence-based design practices. Teams are divided evenly across three technology tracks — Rapid and Continuous Learning Assessment, Mathematical Literacy to Promote a Future STEM Workforce, and Other Innovations in Translational Learning Technologies — to support diverse communities of K-12 students and teachers.
June 2023
iQsonics was one of the 100 edtech companies selected to participate in the VITAL Prize Challenge (Visionary Interdisciplinary Teams Advancing Learning), funded by National Science Foundation in partnership with Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Schmidt Futures and the Walton Family Foundation. David Sonnenschein, iQsonics CEO, and advisor Shelley Cox, founder of Step-by-Step, participated in the 8 week Discovery Round that included interviewing all SS4Kids stakeholder types (administrators, caseworkers, clinicians, parents, children), mapping flow of Decision, Authorization, Usage and Payment. They indicated the most desirable new feature would be Make Your Own Song, that helps personalize the experience for the diverse user population. We concluded the Discovery Round with a presentation to the mentor/judges, and if selected will proceed to the Semi-Finals with funding awards toward prototyping our new feature.
