KidzHack Awarded Competitive Grant from the National Science Foundation
Small Business Innovation Research Program Provides Seed Funding for R&D
[Gainesville, FL], February 8, 2021 – KidzHack has been awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant for $255,866 to conduct research and development (R&D) work on an online platform to promote social-emotional well-being for students in sixth through eighth grades.
Every year, 12.5 million children across the United States are enrolled in middle school (grades 6-8). These years demand new social skills in a larger and more complicated environment with an increased possibility of peer conflicts. Envisioned by the company in collaboration with Èlan Burton, M.D., VIBES will provide engaging content for adolescents to learn how to manage their emotions as well as be more socially adaptable among their peers.
“We are grateful for the support from the National Science Foundation to advance our mission of helping children develop into emotionally healthy and established young adults,” said Dr. Wanda Eugene, Managing Director for KidzHack. “And with this platform, VIBES, we will have a tool to help young people engage in flexible, scalable, and culturally relevant social-emotional learning.”
KidzHack is seeking to fill a void in the behavioral health space from other comparable programs by providing an intelligent system that students in grades 6-8 can use inside and outside of the classroom that is personalized to their needs. “VIBES will not only support the growth and development of students in grades 6-8, but also serve as a great resource for parents, educators, counselors, and the like to support students’ overall well-being,” said Sandra Roach, Principal Investigator
“NSF is proud to support the technology of the future by thinking beyond incremental developments and funding the most creative, impactful ideas across all markets and areas of science and engineering,” said Andrea Belz, Division Director of the Division of Industrial Innovation and Partnerships at NSF. “With the support of our research funds, any deep technology startup or small business can guide basic science into meaningful solutions that address tremendous needs.”
About KidzHack
KidzHack is a tech company dedicated to helping children develop into mature, fully functioning young adults by providing the technological tools necessary to change the world around them. They like to describe it as “hacking the future.” For more information, please visit www.kidzhack.com.
About the National Science Foundation's Small Business Programs: America’s Seed Fund powered by NSF awards $200 million annually to startups and small businesses, transforming scientific discovery into products and services with commercial and societal impact. Startups working across almost all areas of science and technology can receive up to $1.75 million to support research and development (R&D), helping de-risk technology for commercial success. America’s Seed Fund is congressionally mandated through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. The NSF is an independent federal agency with a budget of about $8.1 billion that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering. To learn more about America’s Seed Fund powered by NSF, visit: https://seedfund.nsf.gov/
Contact:
Sandra Roach
KidzHack