San Francisco, September 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/
BUILD and Comcast NBCUniversal are introducing a new virtual digital curriculum to help teachers and out of school providers as students struggle to adapt to remote learning across the country. BUILD’s COVID-19 Virtual Design Challenge will inspire high school students nationwide to leverage technology to create entrepreneurial solutions for today’s challenges. BUILD and Comcast are committed to using their resources to level the playing field for all students, regardless of zip code or income. To increase open opportunity nationwide, they are asking educators, mentors, and nonprofits to sign up for the challenge and for everyone to share the curriculum with their network.
This new curriculum is a key part of BUILD’s new partnership with Comcast. As a media and technology company, Comcast believes in the power of the technology to facilitate economic opportunity.
“In order to successfully engage in the digital economy, our young people need exposure to high quality experiences that will challenge their critical thinking skills,” said Dalila Wilson-Scott, Senior Vice President for Community Impact at Comcast and President of the Comcast NBCUniversal Foundation. “We are excited to leverage BUILD’s expertise in experiential learning to launch a new digital curriculum which builds skills that will hold value well beyond the current pandemic.”
The challenge expands upon BUILD’s expertise in creating experiential learning for students, complete with the guidance of facilitators and trainings offered to schools, nonprofits, and teachers in search of engaging, culturally responsive, project-based digital content that inspires innovation with Black and Latinx youth.
“We designed the Challenge to help students replace their fears and anxieties in the pandemic, and put them in the driver’s seat by enabling them to create real solutions that promote mental and physical wellness in their communities during COVID,” said Ayele Shakur, BUILD CEO.
In response to the lack of quality culturally relevant digital content, the curriculum invites the user to explore the real stories of people in under-resourced communities of color who have been most impacted by the effects of COVID-19. The website is mobile app enabled, allowing students to access through either their Chromebook or cell phone. Additional educator support includes a Teacher’s Guide, a back-end Google Classroom and Teacher Orientation Sessions to assist with facilitation of the challenge to students.
The Challenge is a virtual way to deliver:
- Experiential project-based learning
- Social and emotional learning, with a focus on collaboration and empathy
- 21st Century Skills including Communication, Problem Solving, and Creativity/Innovation
- Mentoring through the Business Community – all student teams will be assigned a mentor to help develop their concepts
BUILD is leading the way in creating innovative resources for entrepreneurship education in a truly experiential online environment. Comcast and BUILD believe this Challenge will allow students to move from a place of helplessness to a place of problem solving, agency and power. The curriculum, educator guide, and other resources for the Challenge are available at www.BUILD.org/Virtual.
About Comcast
Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA) is a global media and technology company with three primary businesses: Comcast Cable, NBCUniversal, and Sky.
Comcast Cable is one of the United States’ largest high-speed internet, video, and phone providers to residential customers under the Xfinity brand, and also provides these services to businesses. It also provides wireless and security and automation services to residential customers under the Xfinity brand.
NBCUniversal is global and operates news, entertainment and sports cable networks, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, television production operations, television station groups, Universal Pictures, and Universal Parks and Resorts.
Sky is one of Europe’s leading media and entertainment companies, connecting customers to a broad range of video content through its pay television services. It also provides communications services, including residential high-speed internet, phone, and wireless services. Sky operates the Sky News broadcast network and sports and entertainment networks, produces original content, and has exclusive content rights. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information.
About BUILD
BUILD uses entrepreneurship to ignite the potential of youth in under-resourced communities and equip them for high school, college and career success. Before COVID-19, BUILD.org served 2,000 students annually in the Bay Area, LA, NY, Boston, and DC through a high touch four year model. Through it’s partnership with Comcast NBCUniversal, BUILD.org plans to reach tens of thousands in cities all across the US. Learn more at www.build.org.
