Students need a strong education in science and technology — especially computer science — to compete in the global marketplace and meet the challenges of the future.
In a recent Gallup report , a majority of parents agreed that their children would need to know computer science for their careers. In another study, 84% of Americans thought the federal government should make improving STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education a higher priority.
Successive administrations have steered hundreds of millions of dollars into STEM education, and more than half of US states have passed mandates to incorporate computer science into K-12 classrooms.
Yet despite these efforts, a lot remains to be done. By some estimates, only about half of US high schools teach computer science at all. Gallup found just 27% of teachers are satisfied with computer science learning opportunities at their schools. Students may learn basic coding but they are rarely introduced to underlying computer science principles. In biology and chemistry, students learn the scientific method before embarking on experiments. Yet in computer science, sequencing of concepts and skills remains arbitrary.
And no wonder. Computer science teachers are chronically under-resourced, patching together curricula from a hodgepodge of online materials or relying on lessons offered by expensive ‘coding schools’ — materials reverse-engineered from Advanced Placement tests that were never intended to serve as a curricular blueprint.
We think that needs to change. That’s why we’re starting Kira Learning, a new STEM-focused education publisher designed for 21st century learners.
We’re a team of teachers, scientists, and engineers on a mission to create classroom curricula and AI-powered learning tools to empower teachers and prepare students for a world where technology and science will play a central role in their personal and professional lives - irrespective of career choice.
Today we’re announcing $1.5M of pre-seed funding led by artificial intelligence pioneer Andrew Ng’s AI Fund, with participation from venture capital firms NEA and Primavera. Andrew, one of the world’s premier computer science educators, is designing and teaching our first AI-focused curriculum for high schoolers. He is also joining the company as Chairman of our Board.
We believe computer science education needs to do more than just teach students to code. It needs to treat computer science as a new form of literacy alongside reading, writing and mathematics, giving students a broad and deep understanding of the algorithms and technologies that shape their lives, including big data, computer networks, artificial intelligence, and machine learning.
This requires a different approach — and we believe, a different kind of publisher. Traditional curriculum and content providers have struggled to deliver the personalized and market aligned learning experience that teachers and students increasingly demand. We founded Kira Learning to fill that need.
We’re creating mastery focused high-quality instructional materials (HQIM) for every grade level, K-12, delivered through an AI-powered platform that adapts to each student’s needs and pace. To this end, we’ve gathered the world’s leading computer science instructors, along with experts in curriculum development, public education and publishing, to create something fundamentally new and bring it to schools globally. Among our advisors we’re proud to count Wendy Kopp, the cofounder and CEO of Teach for All, and John Fallon, former CEO of Pearson, the world’s largest educational publisher.
We’ve started with computer science because that’s where the need is most acute. Over time, Kira Leaning will extend to all STEM disciplines, giving students equitable access to resources at the cutting edge of industry and learning, no matter where they live or what school they attend.
There’s no time to waste, and we plan to have our pilot high school program in classrooms this fall. If our mission inspires you, if you’re passionate about advancing education to meet the needs of a fast-changing world or if you just have thoughts to run by us, we want to hear from you. Reach out to us at info@kira-learning.com, and keep an eye on this space. We’ll have much more to share soon.
