Chalk

Chalk

Chalk

Visualize Complex Content

London, UK

United Kingdom

Nonprofit

Teaching relies too heavily on unstructured text, which disadvantages all students and especially those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or who are learning in a non-native language. Although 1.7 million children in the UK and 240 million worldwide have SEND, teachers lack the tools and time to create high-support visual materials. The achievement gap for SEND students is growing rather than declining - they're on average 1.7 years behind in math and 1.5 years behind in reading compared to peers globally.

Chalk combines AI with an open-source library of accessible visuals to empower educators to create tailored diagrams, graphic organizers, storyboards, and visual videos. Our solution dramatically reduces visual creation time from approximately 50 minutes to 6 minutes, freeing teachers to focus on instruction rather than resource creation. Chalk integrates learning science (Richard Mayer's Principles of Multi-Media Learning) to ensure visuals follow best practices. The solution includes a drawing interface powered by TLDraw where teachers can use AI to generate images, with an image checker that verifies educational appropriateness and alignment with learning principles.

Chalk primarily serves SEND students who struggle with text-only instruction, though all students benefit from visual learning. This includes students who have SEND but who have not been diagnosed yet. By providing teachers with tools to easily create high-quality visuals, we help SEND students better understand concepts, engage with learning materials, and express their understanding. For some SEND students, "the symbols are their voice" according to Amelie Thompson, Director of SEND at Greenshaw Trust. Teachers also benefit by becoming more effective SEND practitioners with less preparation time, increasing their professional fulfilment.