National Science Foundation

OneSeventeen Media, Inc. is a company focused on developing social media tools aimed at promoting the well-being of children aged 10 to 14. Based in Austin, Texas, the company offers a range of services, including MyMobileMentor, a digital first responder that equips kids with essential skills to navigate challenging situations during their teenage years. Additionally, OneSeventeen Media has created reThinkIt!, a telebehavioral mental health platform that utilizes live chat and chatbot assistants to help children process difficult emotions and understand their behaviors. The company also provides an integrated real-time behavior management system for schools, supporting both parents and educational institutions in addressing complex issues related to children's social-emotional health with evidence-based and personalized content. Since its incorporation in 2008, OneSeventeen Media has aimed to empower young individuals to make informed decisions in various environments, including school and home.

Cognitive ToyBox develops technology to improve early childhood education. It is an early childhood platform to help all children start kindergarten ready to succeed. The company was founded by Tammy Kwan and Dr. Brenden Lake, with support from the National Science Foundation, the Robin Hood Foundation and NewSchools Venture Fund.

CodeCrew empowers kids from underrepresented communities to be tech innovators and leaders through practical, hands-on computer science training. Today, they have multiple summer camps, multiple after-school programs, eight in-school electives programs, a young adult Code School, and a number of special events.

Mechanismic provides after-school and camp programs, curricula, and tutorials for children using a robotics product. The company was founded in 2017 and is based in Saint James, New York.

Quisigamond Community College, located in Worcester, MA, serves over 13,000 students and offers more than 70 associate degree and certificate programs. In addition to the traditional student academic program, Quisigamond offers online classes specifically geared toward working students or professionals who want to enhance their skills or build new ones. Those classes include Business Administration, Fire Science, Criminal Justice, Computer Science and Hospitality Management. Certificates are available in business administration/insurance or medical office options, Hotel and Restaurant Management, Early Childhood Education, and Law Enforcement. Various healthcare certificates are also offered including Surgery Technology, basic Paramedic and Dental Assisting. Associate Degrees are offered in Deaf Studies, Biomedical Engineering, Electromechanical Technology, Telecommunications Technology and Energy Utility. Quisigamond has developed outstanding relationships with potential employers in the central Massachusetts area including Intel, Verizon, Kennedy Diecasting, UPS and Ken-Weld and sponsors regular collaborations for workforce training. The Children’s School is available for enrolled students and members of the community with children between the ages of 2 to 5 years and also operates as a training center for Early Childhood Education students . The Division of Continuing Education hosts non-credit courses, workshops and seminars that are widely attended by the community and students.

For students in or nearby Union, New Jersey, looking to earn a bachelors or masters degree, why not head down Morris Avenue to visit Kean University and see if it’s the perfect place for you? Programs include Accounting, Behavioral Sciences, Biology, Chemistry, Criminal Justice, Early Childhood Education, Finance, Fine Arts, and Visual Communications, among many, many more. Among the student resources are a bookstore, child care center, food services and a career development center. The career center was built to help students write resumes, prepare for interviews, search for jobs and find the perfect major for their career goals. Kean University also features a campus full of activities, clubs, and cultural offerings. You can see a show at the Wilkins Theater, or join one of the university’s many clubs. Or you could take a short trip to New York City, which is less than an hour away! The decision to go to college shouldn’t have to depend solely on monetary matters. The financial aid resources of Kean will help you fill out the FAFSA, which could lead to federal loans and grants. There are also work-study programs, veteran’s benefits and many scholarships for eligible students. In fact, Kean University has a whole office dedicated to scholarship services.

MathBRIX is a for-profit EdTech business, with initial support from the National Science Foundation Small Business Research Program (NSF/SBIR). The venture is developing a SaaS math program for children 3-8, which emphasizes higher-order thinking skills and concept acquisition. Children are guided through visual puzzles and games designed to help them see the big ideas behind math, rather than memorize facts. Virtual toy building bricks take the place of traditional manipulatives, with studs on the surface representing numeric value. The platform adjusts to each child's level and comes with a suite of analytics that track learning outcomes. Off computer hands-on projects further extend learning. The MathBRIX mission is to create new learning technologies that will make a significant social and economic impact over time. For the US to remain a world economic leader, all children must be able to think mathematically and problem-solve. Children behind in kindergarten, often stay behind through the remaining school years. Only 40% of U.S. fourth grade students are deemed proficient on national math assessments. Early intervention is key. The visual strategies are derived from the federally-funded Comprehensive School Mathematics Program. Twenty years of research found CSMP students had greater ability to solve novel math problems. CSMP was effective with the gifted as well as the learning challenged. MathBRIX testing with over 500 students confirms high student engagement, feasibility, promise of learning. A larger test is underway in 34 districts nation-wide. In 2018, pre-school and parent education components will be developed with the Parents as Teachers National Center.

Mechanismic provides after-school and camp programs, curricula, and tutorials for children using a robotics product. The company was founded in 2017 and is based in Saint James, New York.

BrainChild Technologies is based in Atlanta, Georgia, and focuses on developing digital applications and smart devices aimed at enhancing parent-infant communication. The company's flagship product is a low-cost smart pacifier designed to improve the early identification of hearing loss in infants. This innovative device measures changes in an infant's sucking behavior in response to various images and sounds, enabling parents to engage in interactive activities with their children. By tracking behavioral data, BrainChild Technologies helps parents recognize potential hearing issues early, allowing for timely interventions that are crucial for effective treatment.

Teaching It Right is an educational curriculum development company focused on serving children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. The company creates supplementary materials and curricula tailored for individuals and educational institutions, as well as professionals involved in autism education. Their offerings include an integrated mobile application designed to teach social skills and a multi-sensory therapy program aimed at enhancing eye contact. These services are intended to help children engage more fully in society, prepare for self-sufficiency, and improve their future employment opportunities.

Kiko Labs is a game development company based in San Carlos, California, founded in 2013. The company specializes in creating neuroscience-based games aimed at enhancing cognitive skills essential for academic success in children. Its flagship product, Thinking Time, is an adaptive cognitive training game designed for early learners aged 3 to 7. This game focuses on developing executive functions such as memory, inhibition, focus, and cognitive flexibility through engaging challenges. Additionally, Thinking Time targets reasoning and spatial skills, providing a comprehensive approach to cognitive development. Parents, teachers, and caregivers can utilize an in-app metrics dashboard to monitor children's progress across various skill areas, ensuring a supportive learning environment.

Moondrop Entertainment is an iPad app that motivates kids and families to create, save, share, and print artwork. Their feeatures that include uncomplicated and safe, professional grade printing, designed for families, encourages creativity, trouble-free sharing, and all fun, no mess.

SiLAS specializes in providing social, emotional, and behavioral solutions aimed at practitioners and students, particularly those on the autism spectrum. The company offers a comprehensive program that includes social-emotional learning (SEL) screenings and curricula for various age groups, in addition to curricula focused on applied behavior analysis (ABA), executive functioning, and transitional and vocational skills. SiLAS also features a data-driven animation platform designed to assist children in recognizing facial expressions, enhancing language abilities, and improving social interactions. This platform encompasses three tiers of social skills and vocational training, while allowing educators to track student performance metrics associated with individual animation projects. By enabling children to collaborate on creating animation scripts, the platform promotes essential skills such as topic generation, eye contact, and appropriate social responses.