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
Tech hub at Kansas City Public Library to accelerate entrepreneurship
The Kansas City Public Library is doing its part to promote entrepreneurship with a soon-to-be opened learning and tech hub at the downtown Central Library. The new, 2,100-square-foot space — named OneNorth Technology Center — will boast nearly four dozen computers, a dozen tablets and free access to a variety software. Among many offerings, OneNorth…
Events Preview: Lean Lab Workshop, SpiderOak Launch
There are a boatload of entrepreneurial events hosted in Kansas City on a weekly basis. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, investor, supporter or curious Kansas Citian, we’d recommend these upcoming events for you. WEEKLY EVENT PREVIEW The Lean Lab’s Innovation Workshop When: April 15 – April 16 Where: Think Big Coworking Build the Future of KC Schools.…
Report: Kansas City startups snagging more dough in 2016
Kansas City has made significant strides when it comes to improving access to early-stage capital, though its relative volume still lags other startup hubs, according to a recent report. In the first three months of 2016, Kansas City has boosted its total capital raised by about 297 percent when compared to the same time period…
Fund me, KC: MyCroft AI to take on Amazon Echo, Siri
Startland News is continuing its segment to highlight area entrepreneurs’ efforts to accelerate their businesses. This is an opportunity for entrepreneurs — like MyCroft AI CEO Joshua Montgomery — to share their stories to gain a little help from their supporters. If you or your startup is running a crowdfunding campaign, let us know by…