AllGrow App

We are is a non-profit organization and since 2017 we have been using the design thinking method to enable educators facilitate experiential activities in their classrooms, which enabled youngsters develop 21st century skills. So far over 1,000 educators and 8,500 children and youth have participated in our activities and created over 320 youth-led solutions, which contribute to the Global Sustainable Development Goals. For example they coached each other on how to have better grades at math, clean up their community,  build outdoor classrooms and fight misinformation. 

But now we hit another roadblock. We estimate that only 1 in 40 teachers is willing and capable to dedicate time to engage his or her students in such activities, leaving much of this untapped potential on the table. The situation is even more dire in poor and undeserved communities where access to resources, trained educators and overall motivation is low. Romania for example, ranks third in the European Union in terms of the percentage of young people at risk of poverty or social exclusion (31%), percentage higher than for the total population. Globally, the youth account for 16% of the world population and half of them are located in 33 countries classified as “extremely high-risk”. However, access to mobile phones and the internet is widespread and these generations are digitally native. Younger generations have an increased interest in technology and a stronger motivation to contribute to making the world a better place. However, they lack the guidance and resources to do so. According to a 2020 study conducted by the UK Safer Internet Centre, 34% of young people say the internet has inspired them to take action on a cause. 

The need is there, the interest as well and there is a proven curriculum and content which contributes to the development of 21st Century Skills. Therefore the problem we are trying to solve is an access one and we are trying to meet people where they are.  

The AllGrow app aims to translate our award winning curriculum into the digital space and create a hybrid app, which will guide young people to create social change using the design thinking method, while prototyping and testing their social innovations in their own communities. Our work with educators in Romania called Change Architects was selected among 12 most innovative gamified curriculum from 196 submissions all across the globe by HundreED and SuperCell.

Young people will be able to propose a social or environmental issue they had observed in their lives or communities. Next they will form a team with their friends and mentors from around the globe and work together to design a solution to the problem they had identified. They will implement and test their solution, reflect on the results and share their story to inspire other to take action. In doing so we will track the critical competencies develop and provide them with a competence report. 

The app will provide frameworks and tools to guide them step by step using AI and gamification. Imagine a DuoLingo and Pokemon Go using design thinking to create social innovations. The app will be hybrid and combine online learning with in person action. It will also be available offline for those who lack access to good internet and when connected to internet update the contents and features, so that it fits the need of users globally. 

The app will have an inspiration section to show users that change is possible and enhance the exchange of solutions. There will also be mentors available who can provide advice and guidance when needed. 

Young people and sign on the app themselves or they can undertake the social innovation design as part of a school project and bring their educator on board. 

The app will be available on mobile iOS and Android since we know that these technologies are more appropriate for our target group.

We are targeting teenagers and young adults 14- 25 years old in Romania and the USA who are passionate about social change and sustainability and aspire to become changemakers and do not know yet if, how and where to start. We have seen from our work in Romania that best educators, educational programs and initiatives are normally accessible to young adults and children who live in cities, have an average or above average income level. However the ones who live in rural and undeserved communities do not have less access to such programs and miss the chance to reach their full potential and contribute to their society.

We are targeting this group since it is difficult/expensive to reach them with traditional channels, however technology can be leveraged to level up the playing field and create equal opportunities for all regardless of location and socio economic background.

The learning experiences enabled by the app will use gamification to create learning experiences, which will contribute to developing critical skills young people need today and tomorrow such as problem solving, creativity, collaboration, critical thinking and beyond. However, the most important change the app will bring is that through the experiential process guided by the app, the youngsters will discover and develop their agency and self confidence in their own ability to drive change and become changemakers.

The global aspect of the app will also enable them to be inspired and collaborate with youngsters from around the world and contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals.  There are over 1.3 billion young people in this world and we estimate that we can reach at least 1 million  in the first year and 10 million in 3 years through a network effect.

This solution emerged from our own experience, frustrations and observations. We realized that using our traditional channels (educators and the formal curriculum) there will still be young people we will not be able to reach. Often educators are gatekeepers to what students are learning and the learning experiences students have depend heavily on their expertise, understanding, availability and interest. 

When there are innovative educators we are really happy and we have our proven curriculum, however this is not the case everywhere and there are many students left behind, especially in poor and undeserved communities. We are not trying to replace teachers, but rather reach those students who wouldn't be otherwise reached and offer them an alternative to developing critical skills and becoming changemakers.

We have the idea of the app and we build some of the conceptual frameworks, but we did not start the development of the solution. We have recently been selected in Develop for Good accelerator, which will enable us to build an MVP for our app. With the resulted solution we aim to start testing in September with 200 young people form poor and undeserved communities in Romania and in the USA. 

However, our offline curriculum was recently selected among 12 most innovative gamified curriculum from 196 submissions all across the globe by HundreED and SuperCell. We know that it works, and the challenge we are now facing is how to translate it into the online space and make it available to even more individuals.

We have been working mostly in Romania and we are now looking to build a global solution. We want to start with the USA and make the app available to anyone who understand English. The Solve team will connect us to a network of individuals who will enable us to test some of our assumptions faster and accelerate our app development process. We are looking to grow our network and gain feedback and exposure to different and multiple global contexts where we can test our app.

What distinguishes AllGrow is its comprehensive approach to solving challenging problems. AllGrow uses technology to link people from various backgrounds and locations, resulting in a worldwide network of changemakers. AllGrow promotes worldwide cooperation, allowing users to exchange knowledge, resources, and ideas, so multiplying their collective effect and achieving significant change.

AllGrow's innovative design is interactive and user-centered. Gamification encourages users to engage with the platform, earning points and recognition as they move on their changemaking journey. This gamified method not only makes learning more pleasant, but it also stimulates users' long-term participation and dedication, resulting in higher impact and efficacy.

Furthermore, AllGrow does more than just provide a collaboration platform; it also provides users with thorough instruction and help throughout the process. Mentorship programs connect users with experienced persons who can provide advice, comments, and support as they try to overcome complicated challenges. This mentorship component not only improves the learning experience, but it also develops a sense of community and camaraderie among users, creating a conducive atmosphere for growth and innovation.

AllGrow also acts as a central location for resource access and knowledge exchange. Users get access to a multitude of resources on the platform, such as case studies, best practices, and useful tools for social innovation. By democratizing access to resources and experience, this knowledge repository not only helps users create effective solutions but also promotes learning and capacity-building globally, which changes the market environment in the long run.

Inputs and Activities: Building an app, which guides young people and provides access to tools, resources and inspiration to create change. To do so we will need a developing team to build a prototype and test it with users. Once tested, additional changes will be included in order to build a solution closer to users needs, wants and limitations.

The main output will be the app itself, developed in multiple staged. We aim to test in the next 6 months with over 200 individuals in Romania and in the USA and gather feedback regarding our outcome assumptions. 

The main outcome of the app is to give any young person the change making experience and in doing so equip then with the 21st century skills and competencies.

As users continue to interact with AllGrow, we anticipate many longer-term outcomes.

• Empowered Changemakers: Users develop a sense of agency and confidence in their ability to make a positive impact on the world.

• Tangible Solutions: Collaborative efforts result in the development and implementation of practical solutions to real-world challenges.

• Expanded Networks: Users build connections with like-minded individuals and mentors, creating a supportive community of changemakers.

• Increased Awareness: Through participation in AllGrow, users become more informed about pressing global issues and the Sustainable Development Goals.

• Broader Impact: The solutions developed through AllGrow have the potential to catalyze broader positive change within communities and contribute to the achievement of the SDGs

AllGrow's impact goals include empowering changemakers, developing real solutions, fostering supportive communities, raising awareness and involvement, and catalyzing broader positive impacts that line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). To track progress, we look at measures including user interaction, participation in collaborative projects, solution development, community expansion, awareness campaigns, and alignment with SDG targets.

1. Empowering Changemakers:

• KPI 1: User Engagement Rate - measuring the frequency and depth of user interaction with the platform.

• KPI 2: Solution Development Rate - tracking the number and quality of solutions generated by users.

• KPI 3: Skill Acquisition Rate - assessing users' acquisition of new skills and knowledge related to social innovation and sustainable development.

Building Supportive Communities:

• KP 1I: Community Growth Rate - measuring the increase in the number of users and active participants within the AllGrow community.

• KPI: Mentorship Engagement Rate - assessing the level of engagement and satisfaction among users participating in mentorship programs.

• KPI: Collaboration Effectiveness - evaluating the quality and impact of collaborative efforts within the AllGrow community.

AllGrow uses modern technologies to address global concerns and empower changemakers worldwide. At its core, AllGrow is a platform that combines diverse technologies to allow collaboration, learning, and action toward Sustainable Development Goals.

AllGrow is accessible via a user-friendly mobile application that is compatible with both iOS and Android devices. This app acts as a portal for users to interact with the platform, access learning materials, work on projects, and connect with mentors and peers.

We have an existing team of one full time and 3 part time, team members who are working on implementing our offline work and have dedicated time to work on the app. As the app will move towards implementation we aim to allocate at least two team members to work on the app specifically on data analysis and marketing. The technical team will be outsourced and in the first year we will not have a technical team member on staff, but this will change as the app will grow.

The idea started two years ago, but since than we assessed the feasibility of the app and learned from potential users. 

Our team is now formed of mostly women and we take diversity and inclusion seriously. We aim to bring team members who have different backgrounds so that our thinking and ideas are more diverse and representative. Even if we have been working only in Romania our team has global experience, speaks multiple languages and prioritizes diversity, equity and inclusion.

The app will be free for the users because we want to reach those who are left behind at the bottom of the pyramid. The main source of funding will be grants especially until we build the app and we start delivering social impact. 

Once this phase is complete we aim to leverage the social impact create it and align it with ESG reporting and ask companies to "buy" some of our social impact with a membership fee. The same will happen for governments who are looking for local solutions and SDG contributions.   

We will specifically target ESG reporting and companies who align with our values and try to build indicators integrated in the app which could make reporting transparent for the companies as well as offer the needed support to our users. This will create a win-win situation for companies and users, however the ethical, values and transparency of our work will prevail.

We will start with grants and have the app for free. In future some avenues for generating social impact are ads and membership from businesses and governments.