The Tools Competition is pleased to announce the 11 winners selected from 695 submissions in the Accelerating K-12 Learning track!
Opportunity gaps and declines in academic progress continue to limit student success at a time when educational attainment is more critical for lifelong success than ever. This is especially true for students with learning differences, who often face challenges with traditional classroom instruction.
The Accelerating K-12 Learning track focused on tools that improve instruction, strengthen educator support, and engage families more meaningfully in the learning process. A core emphasis of the track was the development of practical tools that help schools better serve diverse learners by expanding access to personalized supports and more inclusive learning environments.
Designed to meet the needs of both students and educators, winning tools aim to improve academic outcomes, reduce disparities, and better prepare learners for future opportunities in school and beyond.
Winners of the Accelerating K-12 Learning Track
Catalyst Level – $50,000 prizes for early-stage tools
- CHECKPOINT | University of Florida | USA
CHECKPOINT generates assessment items that target specific misunderstandings and common errors exhibited by students. For teachers, the tool can help select content that is best suited to gauge student learning. For researchers, it supports the creation of psychometrically stable pre- and post-tests to evaluate learning interventions.
- Hunu | Craft Education | Ghana, the Netherlands
Hunu transforms therapy centers into data-driven hubs that improve learning outcomes for children with behavioral and learning challenges. Hunu connects families with trusted therapy providers and allows providers to focus more on their clients.
- Journify Learning | Journify Learning | USA
Journify Learning is an AI assistant for special education that saves teachers time, drives student outcomes through evidence-based practices, and strengthens district compliance with centralized data tracking and reporting.
- LiteracyLeap: AI-Assisted Literacy Assessments | Pratham International | Colombia, USA
LiteracyLeap is an offline automated speech recognition tool designed to assess children’s literacy levels, enabling targeted interventions. A custom-built AI model tailored for Colombian learners, the tool leverages acoustic patterns to assess pronunciation accuracy and improve literacy outcomes in under-resourced communities in Colombia.
Growth Level – $150,000 for products with some users and scale
- EdLight: Understanding GoalLight’s Impact on Supporting Diverse Learning Communities | EdLight, PBC | USA
GoalLight, EdLight’s newest tool, bridges the gap between authentic student work and IEP goals. Using AI, it interprets handwritten math work and maps student thinking directly to learning objectives. Teachers, students, and families receive personalized feedback and next steps aligned to each learner’s unique plan.
- Kenyan Sign Language Acquisition Assessment | eKitabu | Kenya, the UK, and the Netherlands
eKitabu’s tool is the first AI-enhanced sign language acquisition assessment in Africa, designed to support early-grade deaf and hard-of-hearing learners in mastering their first language, sign language. It measures both expressive and receptive KSL skills using video-based prompts and interprets responses through AI, providing rapid, accessible feedback.
- Shaia | Mentu | Colombia, Argentina, Peru, Dominican Republic
Shaia is an AI-powered platform that helps teachers plan, deliver, and reflect on instruction. It offers tailored recommendations, adaptive tools, and continuous support rooted in pedagogical best practices. Designed for low-tech classrooms, Shaia improves daily instruction and drives measurable impact.
- Sing and Speak 4 Kids: Make Your Own Song | IQSONICS LLC | USA
Founded on a clinically trialed neurologic music therapy for autism, Sing and Speak 4 Kids helps children develop their speech and language in a game-based music app. Its new feature, Make Your Own Song, adds personalization for creating lyrics and song stories based on children’s preferred interests.
Transform Level – $300,000 for established platforms with 10,000 or more users
- AI Agent for Literacy Teachers | Nova Escola Association | Brazil
The AI Agent for Literacy Teachers supports Brazilian public school educators with an assessment tool that helps teachers identify student learning needs and an AI-powered activity generator that creates personalized literacy activities using Nova Escola’s 6,000+ lesson plans.
- AI-Enabled Oral Reading Fluency in Hindi | Wadhwani AI | India
The AI-Enabled Oral Reading Fluency tool leverages speech recognition and machine learning to assess reading skills, diagnose learning gaps, and provide targeted remediation, empowering teachers to improve foundational literacy in low-resourced schools in India.
- Corinth | Lifeliqe Czech | Czech Republic, USA
Corinth is a publisher and hosts a STEM library of 1,500+ interactive 3D modules, 360° field trips, interactive deep zooms, and picture galleries. The immersive content includes descriptions, selectable parts, and in some cases can be dissected or explored using virtual and augmented reality devices.
Learn more about the winners in all tracks here.
The Tools Competition is open to teams with tools at all stages of development and is run over three phases with support for teams to refine their ideas. Finalists pitched their tools before a panel of judges. View judges in this track here.
To date, the Tools Competition has named 150 winners from 48 countries over five cycles, who are currently reaching nearly 50 million learners and educators.
The Tools Competition is a program of Renaissance Philanthropy, organized by The Learning Agency, and made possible through the generous support of the Walton Family Foundation, Griffin Catalyst, Axim Collaborative, Oak Foundation, and Calbright College.
Join our mailing list to receive updates on the next competition cycle—launching in September 2025!
