Teachers Lead Tech, a computer science teaching platform, won the Learning and Education category at the World Summit Awards. The platform aims to provide computer science skills to all children and is now expanding into the United States with the goal of reaching 20 million students worldwide by 2025.
On June 3, the winners of the World Summit Awards (WSA) global digital project competition were announced at an international ceremony in Puebla, Mexico.
Teachers Lead Tech, a computer science teaching platform for K-8 educators, was recognized as the winner in the Learning and Education category. Previously, the platform also won the WSA Young Innovator 2022 Award.
Teachers Lead Tech aims for every child to grow up with fundamental computer science skills, regardless of gender, location and socio-economic background. Entirely female-founded, the platform allows teachers to deliver a creative learning experience and effectively teach technology skills to every student by providing them with the appropriate tools, resources, and a supportive community.
Helping pupils discover the joy of computer science
In the initial 18 months following its launch, Teachers Lead Tech successfully onboarded 60% of K-5 teachers in its home market, Lithuania, making a direct impact on over 100,000 girls and boys.
“We were delighted by the enthusiastic response of teachers, who were in need of effective solutions that could let kids experience the thrill of creating with technologies,” said Monika Katkutė, Founder and CEO of the platform. “We have recently opened and adapted our solution to K-8 teachers as well.”
The platform — managed by a team with over 8 years of experience in implementing large-scale education projects — benefits K–8 teachers by offering them innovative and comprehensive computer science curricula, and a digital learning assistant to free up their time, reduce their mental load in the classroom and encourage students’ self-directed learning and creativity. The platform also offers professional development workshops for teachers to build their competences in a supportive environment.
The education tool has attracted attention for its distinctive features. Firstly, it integrates computer science into a wide range of subjects using a “Understand. Practice. Create” pedagogical approach, leading learners from understanding the fundamentals to creating their unique projects. Secondly, it provides a time-saving digital learning assistant that encourages students’ creativity and saves teachers’ time. Lastly, the platform offers comprehensive support for teachers, ensuring they have the necessary resources and assistance to deliver a holistic learning experience.
Teachers Lead Tech have also forged partnerships with top digital firms, such as Google, Mailerlite, and Vinted, who operate as social investors, to ensure sustainable development and a long-term impact model. In order to further demonstrate its dedication to long-term impact, the platform has also signed multi-year partnerships with significant city governments in Lithuania and the Ministry of Education.
A helping hand to U.S.-based teachers
Having established itself in the home market, Teachers Lead Tech is now expanding into the United States. The platform is already recruiting new teachers and forming partnerships with states, aiming to make a global impact by reaching 20 million students worldwide by 2025.
“We are committed to directly and meaningfully improving the lives of K-8 teachers, who account for 58% of teachers in public elementary and secondary schools, 82% of whom are female and wield enormous power in the field of technology and computer science. This group has a significant untapped potential in the worlds of technology and creativity,” explained Ms. Katkutė.
Teachers Lead Tech hopes to support teachers by providing them with a comprehensive system that takes care of three crucial aspects: an engaging computer science curriculum that includes coding, 3D modeling, virtual reality (VR), artificial intelligence (AI), and more, a digital classroom learning assistant, and relevant professional development resources, empowering teachers to enhance their skills and confidence in teaching computer science.
By extending its reach to the USA and beyond, Teachers Lead Tech seeks to improve education on a global scale and ensure that millions of children have access to quality computer science education.