How can we make learning more inclusive and equitable, while improving outcomes for all learners?

Challenge Overview

The world faces persistent gaps in learning and educational opportunities. Globally, 250 million children are not in school, and hundreds of millions are in classrooms that lack adequate access to learning materials or disability-adapted infrastructure. In addition, the skills taught—in school or via other informal pathways—may not allow people to thrive in a rapidly changing world.

Technology in education works best when centered on the needs of communities and learners, and when designed to complement rather than replace human interaction. In doing so, it can offer new assistive tools, help cross language barriers, and support educators in creating more adaptive and inclusive learning opportunities. High-impact ideas can use technology for efficient network and scale, even as the end goal remains learner success.  

MIT Solve seeks exceptional solutions leveraging technology to address equity gaps in learning. While we are excited to select and support innovators across any learning area, we have a particular interest for 2024 in solutions that: 

• Ensure that all children are learning in good educational environments, particularly those affected by poverty or displacement.

• Use inclusive design to ensure engagement and better outcomes for learners with disabilities and neurodivergent learners, while benefiting all learners.

• Provide the skills that people need to thrive in both their community and a complex world, including social-emotional competencies, problem-solving, and literacy around new technologies such as AI.

Special Call: Black & Brown Innovators in the US Program

Pre-pandemic, closing the learning gaps between Black, Latine, and white students in the US was estimated to take 60 to 160 years. The pandemic has widened racial gaps, and new technology can address - or exacerbate - biases. As part of Solve’s ongoing work on US racial equity, we encourage those working to address racial disparities in US communities to apply for the Challenge and receive additional support through our Black & Brown Innovators Program.

Image courtesy of The Australian Literacy and Numeracy Foundation (ALNF).

Prizes

MIT Solve - Solver Award

All Solver teams selected for Solve’s Global Challenges and the Indigenous Communities Fellowship will receive a $10,000 grant funded by Solve.

The GM Prize

The GM Prize is open to solutions that help create smart, safe, and sustainable communities around the world. The Prize is funded by General Motors, which is working toward becoming the most inclusive company in the world and is dedicated to making STEM education more accessible and equitable. Up to $150,000 will be awarded across up to six Solver teams from the 2024 Global Learning Challenge, the 2024 Global Climate Challenge, and the 2024 Indigenous Communities Fellowship.

The GSR Foundation Prize

GSR Foundation will award a prize to solutions that use technology in an innovative way to address pressing issues in their communities, which have the potential to scale globally. Preference will be given to solutions that remove barriers to financial inclusion, and that place a strong emphasis on learning. The prize is funded by the GSR Foundation, an independent charity founded by GSR, a leading cryptocurrency trading firm. The Foundation seeks to advance education, promote equality of opportunity, and contribute to a sustainable world, emphasizing blockchain and innovative technology-powered solutions. Up to $150,000 will be awarded across several Solver teams from any of Solve's 2024 Global Challenges.

Morgridge Family Foundation AI Innovation Prize

Solutions that use AI to boldly spark change through innovation, disruption, and transformation are eligible for the Morgridge Family Foundation AI Innovation Prize. The Morgridge Family Foundation invests in leaders and organizations who are reimagining solutions to some of today's biggest challenges. Up to $50,000 will be granted across up to two Solver teams from Solve’s 2024 Global Challenges or from Solve's portfolio of Solver teams.

The AI for Humanity Prize

The AI for Humanity Prize is open to solutions leveraging data science, artificial intelligence, and/or machine learning to benefit humanity. The prize is made possible by The Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, a philanthropy committed to advancing AI and data solutions to create a thriving, equitable, and sustainable future for all. Up to $150,000 will be awarded across several Solver teams from any of the 2024 Global Challenges.