Industry News

Ed Tech Consortium Seeks Funding to Expand Immersive Curriculum

• By Dian Schaffhauser
• 01/14/20

An Austin-based consortium with an interest in education technology is seeking funding to launch programs for young people in jail, explore topics such as substance abuse and suicide and help teens learn about careers. DiscoverSTEAM Foundation is set up to work with companies in streamlining the process of launching new educational solutions. According to its website, the nonprofit "bridges the gap" between the solutions being offered by ed tech companies and the needs of school districts, educators and students.

For the current round of funding, the organization is seeking $2 million to expand its existing and new course offerings in three areas:

• The criminal justice alternative system for reducing juvenile incarceration;

• "Right Choice," a virtual reality multi-pathway gaming system for teaching teenagers about drugs, alcoholism, violence, suicide and related topics; and

• Immersive, project-based learning and career-track programs.

Some of the work has already been tested in schools, including the Austin and Eanes Independent School Districts; others are still in development.

"There is an immersive element at the heart of DiscoverSTEAM Foundation," said Sandeep Kumar, the foundation's chief executive officer, in a statement. "We are correcting the challenges of the existing and antiquated education system by bringing immersive education solutions to market quickly versus letting amazing technology languish in the long education sales cycle."