Campaign Highlights
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This isn't charity. Kinful is built on a social enterprise model to ensure long-term financial sustainability and universal access. We've established partnerships with higher-income schools to help subsidize the costs of our program for lower-income schools. Your support is an investment in a sustainable movement!
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We're at a critical juncture in achieving self-sustainability. With your help, we'll be able to increase our fleet of virtual reality cameras to scale our program. Once scaled, a tipping point will be reached resulting in financial sustainability.
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We believe in measurable results. Though intangible benefits should not be overlooked, we believe in measuring impact whenever possible. We've partnered with Devereux Center for Resilient Children to measure student growth in social-emotional learning.
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Our community is inclusive, looking to engage with everyone (especially you!). Do you work in education and are interested in bringing Kinful into your classroom? Do you have ideas on how to make Kinful even more impactful? If so, we'd love to hear from you!
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The perks. Have you checked them out yet? Pretty great stuff up for grabs.
Want to learn more? Keep on reading!
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Bring the world together with Kinful
Kinful is building a global network of schools united in the belief that what binds humanity together is greater than what divides us. We do this by pairing classrooms around the world to partake in a virtual intercultural exchange where students share self-created virtual reality (360° immersive video) with their distant counterparts. These exchanges serve as the platform for the Kinful curriculum — focused on developing social-emotional learning competencies that foster intercultural understanding and academic achievement.
Interactive VR Demo
"Day in the Life" example lesson video, where students explore the lives of others. Primarily formatted for VR headsets, but you can click around to explore the space on supported browsers.
The Problem
In our globalized world, humans have become more connected than ever before. Yet, with no framework in place to foster mutual understanding, social divisions remain entrenched. Students need opportunities to develop interpersonal skills that transcend cultural boundaries.
The Solution
Social-emotional learning (SEL) through intercultural exchanges. In addition to promoting academic achievement, SEL is the key to interpersonal and intercultural understanding. Social-emotional learning competencies — social awareness, self-awareness, relationship skills, etc. — are fundamental attributes needed for academic success and global leadership in the 21st century.
Unique Curriculum
The Kinful curriculum uses virtual reality to unlock social-emotional learning competencies through experiential learning. Through virtual reality, students are immersed in the perspective of others, and afterwards are guided through in-classroom exercises to discuss the experience.
Social-Emotional Learning Competencies
SEL emphasizes mastery of 5 core skills that prepare students for social success, as well as boost academic achievement.
- Self-awareness
- Self-management
- Social awareness
- Relationship skills
- Responsible decision-making
Interactive VR Demo
Kinful pitch video. Primarily formatted for VR headsets, but you can click around to explore the space on supported browsers.
Why Virtual Reality?
Virtual reality — student-created 360° immersive video — enables us to bring intercultural exchanges directly into the classroom. Using VR, students record and share their lives with their peers around the world. These videos serve as the foundation of our in-classroom SEL exercises, where students are given the opportunity to quite literally walk in someone else's shoes.
Why Intercultural Exchange?
When you immerse yourself in a different culture, you gain a deeper understanding of yourself and of the world around you — you experience new perspectives and learn to embrace diversity. While exploring and learning about the lives of others, you discover new aspects of yourself. These cross-cultural experiences are instrumental in becoming a social leader in our increasingly globalized world. As the U.S. Dept. of State puts it, "the world is full of new people to meet, so be sure to reach out and make an effort to smile, talk to people, and make time to cultivate friendships you may have the rest of your life. By doing this, you become aware of the inner concerns, hopes, and dreams of a family, a neighborhood or city, a nation, and global community. And with this realization comes the corresponding knowledge of what it means to belong to your own particular country and culture."
Why Social-Emotional Learning?
As defined by the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL) : "Social-emotional learning (SEL) is the process through which children and adults acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions." What's more, the skills nurtured by SEL — decision-making, self-management, etc. — significantly improve academic performance.
Want Kinful in your School?
Great! Let us know here.