As digital skills like computer science, programming, or robotics become fundamental and highly sought-after in all industries today, they are also among the least taught in schools worldwide. Addressing this global need requires collaboration between startups, organizations, and educational institutions.

The TPrize Challenge 2022 arises as a strategic collaboration between Tecnológico de Monterrey and Universidad de Los Andes, aiming to recognize innovative solutions that empower young people with key skills and enable them to chart their own personal and professional development to access better opportunities and transform their environments. Wonderly was one of the participants in this call, along with 121 other proposals, with its focus on reimagining education in digital skills for children and teenagers. Their research revealed that less than 10% of schools in the region offer instruction in technology, such as computer science, programming, or robotics. Additionally, they recognized the need to not only bring training directly to students but also empower more teachers to become leaders and role models in the development of digital skills among over 100 million students in Latin America.

Out of all these incredible initiatives,  Wonderly was selected among the 10 finalists of the TPrize Challenge!

Wonderly is an educational platform that allows students aged 6 to 18 to train in advanced digital skills with the best pedagogical practices from around the world, originating from Finland. Additionally, we enable any teacher to teach these skills without being a technology expert, thanks to the use of our solution as a flipped classroom tool.

Have you tried learning a programming language? It is extremely abstract. For most children and adolescents, the experience can be demotivating. With our hybrid model, combining instructors and engaging animated videos, we offer the world’s best learning experience in digital skills.

The 4 key areas of the TPrize Challenge

One of the main requirements to participate in the TPrize Challenge is that each solution must demonstrate that it can add value in one of the 4 key areas defined by Tec de Monterrey and UniAndes experts: Teacher Empowerment, Internships at Companies (job placement), Inequality, and Gender Equality. One of the reasons we were selected as finalists in the TPrize Challenge is because our solution has positive effects in all four impact areas:

• Teacher Empowerment:  Wonderly allows any teacher, regardless of their technological ability, to facilitate advanced digital skills classes, thanks to the flipped classroom methodology.
• Internships with companies:  Students who graduate from our Computer Science, Python, Web Design, and Robotics programs are certified and ready to begin internships with companies.
• Inequality:  We allow girls, boys, and adolescents with limited resources and/or ethnic minorities to be certified in advanced digital skills, which substantially improves their opportunities to obtain a well-paid job and improve the living conditions of their family and community. .
• Gender equality:  50% of our graduating students, currently studying and about to begin their training, are girls and adolescents, thus reducing the marked gender gap that exists in the digital skills market in the region and the world.

Problem Solved by Wonderly

Wonderly solves the limited access of children and teenagers to software development instruction, which is only available in expensive private schools. This is crucial since most job offers require technological skills, and 90% of students in Latin America and the Caribbean lack this instruction.

Innovation, Curriculum and Benefits of Wonderly

Wonderly stands out for its innovative approach to digital education, offering a platform that combines motivational video content with human instructors and Pixar-style animation to provide an immersive learning experience. Additionally, its “Coding Learning Management System” allows students to learn and program simultaneously, fostering critical thinking through challenging final projects. As for the curriculum, Wonderly offers a full year of educational programs in computer science, programming, robotics, and web development, where students can create animated stories in Scratch, develop video games in Python, build vehicle electrical systems in TinkerCAD, and design websites with HTML/CSS.

These innovative elements and the diverse curriculum of Wonderly provide significant benefits for students, teachers, and schools. Students obtain certifications in advanced digital skills, preparing them for careers in technology, while teachers can improve their teaching skills and academic outcomes using Wonderly’s flipped classroom methodology. Schools can also enrich their curriculum by integrating training in advanced digital skills, preparing students for the modern world and contributing to closing educational inequality gaps in the region.

Thanks to the recognition of the TPrize Challenge, Wonderly has optimized its educational programs, established strategic partnerships, and plans to award scholarships and certify thousands of students and teachers in digital skills, promoting equality and empowerment in education.