Mozilla grants boost local 3D modeling, literacy, STEM
May 16, 2016 | Bobby Burch
The Mozilla Gigabit Community Fund awarded three Kansas City organizations a total of nearly $60,000 in grants to build gigabit-enabled tech projects.
Mozilla gifted the funds to PlanIt Impact, Pennez and the KC Social Innovation Center, which will allow the groups to implement 16-week pilot testing from May 16 to Sept. 4. Mozilla also awarded $75,000 to fund six projects in Chattanooga.
“Grantees will utilize the awarded funds to build, pilot and scale gigabit-enabled applications and associated curricula that have immediate, measurable impact on classrooms and informal learning organizations,” Mozilla wrote in a blog post. “Through these projects, Chattanooga and Kansas City will become living laboratories in which to study how these next-generation networks can impact education and workforce development.”
Here are the specific projects in Kansas City:
- Open Data + 3D Models by PlanIT Impact: The company is putting its big data + 3D modeling technology in the hands of students in Kansas City to advance sustainable design.
- Read2Think by Pennez – A live-time digital assessment tool for measuring a child’s reading fluency. The application utilizes artificial intelligence technology to assess speed, vocabulary, understanding, sight word, pronunciation and phonics recognition.
- SensED IoT Student Innovation Challenge by the KC Social Innovation Center. The organization will be creating a project-based STEM program for 7 – 12 graders to provide real-world experiences in the emerging field of the Internet of Things.
To date, the fund has supported the development of 17 pilot projects in Kansas City and Chattanooga. Past projects include improved first-responder equipment, a real-time water quality monitoring system and singing robots.
The Gigabit Community Fund is a collaboration with National Science Foundation and US Ignite, and is investing in projects that utilize gigabit technology to impact learning. The grant program was announced in January.
The application period for the next round of Gigabit Community Fund grants closes on October 18 for pilots that will run from Jan. 2 to April 24.
2016 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Events Preview: Smart City Tech summit, Intentional Collisions
There are a plethora of entrepreneurial events hosted in Kansas City on a weekly basis. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, investor, supporter, or curious community member — we recommend these upcoming events for you. Are you hosting a relevant community event? Add it to the KCSourceLink Calendar for increased exposure. Email info@kcsourcelink.com for assistance. Smart City…
Techstars KC demo day: How to build inclusive teams that give first
When Lesa Mitchell first learned she’d be managing director of the inaugural Techstars KC program, she thought to herself, “Wow, I’m going to have the most inclusive program in the world,” she said Thursday at the program’s demo day event. As it turns out, diversity and inclusion can be difficult to apply — even with…
No folly for Techstars KC startups declaring growth at demo day (photo gallery)
Traction, new pilot tests and funding rounds were among the milestones met and revealed by a handful of Techstars KC startups at the accelerator’s inaugural demo day celebration. The 2017 Techstars KC class features a variety of industries — from edtech and artificial intelligence to virtual reality and food. Five of the 10 companies hail from…
Is KC enough for Amazon? Pros and cons
Correction: An earlier version of this story used an incorrect figure for Kansas City streetcar ridership. It has since been corrected to reflect the system’s more than 3 million riders. Kansas City wants Amazon. But does the online retail giant want KC? With only a few days remaining before the deadline to submit proposals for…