STrEAM

Stream engages children ages 4 and up with educational videos that teach them how to do hands-on projects. We provide feeds of quick videos of projects curated for each child’s budding interests. As children learn which projects they love, we match them with local outreach programs specializing in their interests.

Stream is an app which takes iPad play to the table and beyond. We aim to inspire children with a lifelong passion for making and the arts. Our app is focused on accessibility–STrEAM’s mission is to give any child the opportunity to foster a lifelong love of learning. We use a two-pronged approach of grabbing children’s attention with educational videos and engaging them further by directing them to local outreach programs. While on the app, children learn how to build and create their own projects from home. When children get curious about different topics, we connect them with outreach programs that match these interests. When used in tandem, these videos and outreach programs will eventually provide opportunities for skill-building to children with access to a phone or tablet anywhere in the world.

Our solution addresses two problems simultaneously. Many parents heavily depend on tablets and smartphones to distract their children while busy. However, many of those parents also worry that overuse of technology will impede their children’s imagination, learning, and social skills.

This sets the stage to address an even bigger problem: few children are exposed to STEAM education at an early age, leaving many disadvantaged youth dissuaded from pursuing interests in STEAM.

Stream aims to solve both of these problems by exposing the millions of children using tablets to STEAM and fostering their passions before cultural biases can convince them otherwise.

It is estimated that 50% of children from ages 4 and up are given regular time on a tablet or smartphone. Many tablet apps target children in this age range, but few attempt to turn education into a hobby. Stream is unique in that it is designed instill in kids both curiosity and drive, giving them the tools to continue pursuing their interests independently. By reaching children at such an early age, Stream gives kids the ability to pursue their dreams before cultural biases can deter them.

Give any child the opportunity to foster a lifelong love of learning and making. Engage children in STEAM through the viral video format. Connect children to outreach programs that can help them further their exposure to areas of their interest. 

We will start by collecting sufficient video content to occupy users following our launch. Via word of mouth and marketing, we will grow our user base. By obtaining a large user base, we can develop an algorithm which offers value to outreach programs for advertising, which in turn lets us connect children to outreach programs that meet their interests.

Track downloads of the app across all platforms. - Reach 1,000,000 downloads

Manage a database of videos - Collect 1,000 hours of educational viral-based video content

Record transactions made to outreach programs from our users - Get 250,000 kids to sign up for an outreach program

The solution will be an app available on tablets and smartphones. It employs video streaming and artificial intelligence algorithms in order to optimize personalized feed content and outreach program matches for each user. Our app separates itself by being the only app which fuses addictive use with education, taking STEAM out of the classroom and into the home. We further separate ourselves by empowering kids to take the first step in discovering and pursuing their interests.

The entire solution is focused on the children and what they already have access to. Our goal is to change the function of the tablets to enhance their curiosity for the world around them rather than for a virtual one.

Our application will be free to download on the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store.

We will bootstrap while developing our initial platform and acquiring early adopters. Once we have traction, we can pursue VC funding to scale our marketing, community management, development, and content acquisition teams. Here we can begin collecting big data to create incentive for material suppliers, kit developers, and outreach programs to use our platform for advertising. Our company from there will mostly need to continue scaling its content acquisition and community management teams in order to handle business growth.

Our company will require user traction despite limited amounts of content during its early stages. This may prove a difficult problem to overcome, since the app marketing heavily depends on word of mouth from parents.

Our idea is still in its early stages, and finding mentors to help us shape our idea as we develop it will be key to overcoming some of its early stage content and marketing challenges.

Leading examples include Minecraft, GoldieBlox and the Movie Machine, Netflix, and CrateJoy.​​