MIT Solve/Jacobs Foundation LEAP Challenge 2024

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Eager to demonstrate that your education solution has a positive impact on learners? Apply for LEAP Challenge 2024, to get support from expert researchers and social entrepreneurs who will help build your approach to generating and using evidence to improve your product or program and strengthen children’s learning outcomes.

MIT Solve and the Jacobs Foundation have a shared goal of supporting and accelerating education solutions that positively impact learners. In 2022 we launched LEAP (Leveraging Evidence for Action to Promote change) to provide education organizations with expertise to strengthen the evidence base of their education solutions.

LEAP Challenge pairs education organizations (Project Hosts) with a team of researchers and social entrepreneurs (LEAP Fellows) who lend their best-in-class expertise to the organization for a 12-week sprint (a “LEAP Project”). Fellows provide tailor-made research recommendations that inform the organization’s approach to strengthen the evidence base of their product or program.

LEAP Challenge Eligibility Criteria

The 2024 LEAP Challenge welcome applications from education organizations that meet the following criteria:

Project Hosts are education organizations (non-profit, for-profit, or hybrid models.)
Have an Education solution (program or product) that improves learning outcomes for children ages 2-12 in Sub-Saharan Africa or Latin America.
Have a solution (program or product) that is in the pilot or growth stage of development:
Pilot: The solution has been launched in at least one community, but is still iterating on design or business model. If for-profit, is generally working to gain traction and may have completed a fundraising round with investment capital. (Often 10+ users/direct beneficiaries)
Growth: An established solution available in one or more communities with a consistent design and approach, ready for further growth in multiple communities or countries. If for-profit, has generally completed at least one formal investment round (Seed stage or later). If nonprofit, has an established set of donors and/or revenue streams.

Organizations selected as Project Hosts will attend a two-day virtual LEAPathon event where they meet LEAP researcher and social entrepreneur Fellows, engage in project refinement sessions, and match with up to four LEAP Fellows. Project Hosts will partner with Fellows on a 12-week Project Sprint which will kick off in two waves – five sprints will begin in September 2024 and another five will begin in January 2025.

Benefits of hosting a LEAP Challenge project include:

Access to a global pool of research and social entrepreneur Fellows who apply their knowledge and skills to support your education solution’s evidence journey;
A final report that details tailor-made research recommendations (study designs, strategies, frameworks, and/or monitoring and evaluation tools) that inform your approach to strengthen the evidence base of your education solution;
Professionally-managed project facilitation provided by MIT Solve, allowing you to focus solely on the most critical elements of the 12-week project;
Valuable networking opportunities across the global cohort of LEAP Fellows and Project Hosts;
A $5,000 stipend to the Project Host organization to compensate for time spent hosting the LEAP Project.

How to Apply for LEAP Challenge

Click Here to Apply

Deadine for application is April 30, 2024

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