Tech Journal
Tech From the Heart: New AI-Driven Scholarship Program Helps “Stranded Superstars” Reach Career Ambitions

Have you ever met a child who was a superstar in class, but lacked the means to reach their full potential? These “stranded superstars” can now unlock their full potential, thanks to Insight and The Steele Family Foundation.

We’ve all run across the super-smart, charismatic kid in our lives who makes us pause and think, That one is going to do great things for the world someday. Cure cancer. Invent a new form of renewable energy. Be the next Steve Jobs or Warren Buffett.

But all too often, those future stars don’t get an opportunity to shine — for no other reason than they weren’t born with the means to go places. 

Our teams at Insight have the privilege of embarking on an ambitious mission with The Steele Family Foundation to find and lift up who the foundation refers to as “stranded superstars” — young people full of drive and potential who lack the resources and financial support to succeed on their own.

We’re helping make this happen through the WISE Scholarship program, a sustainable education portal that will provide financial support and guidance to help high school students around the world realize their true potential.

WISE, which stands for World Impact through Scholarships and Education, started with a $55 million endowment, and the goal is to impact 10 million stranded superstars within the next three years, starting with schools and nonprofit youth programs in Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Canada and the U.S.

The WISE portal guides students who are in their first or second year of secondary school through a four-year path to earn scholarships from The Steele Family Foundation and its partner organizations.

Once they earn a scholarship, students can use the portal throughout their post-secondary education to manage their funds, engage with their peers and report on their academic experiences.

But what’s more, the portal gives students invaluable insights to help them choose a career path. Artificial Intelligence (AI) analyzes their academics, personality, and aptitudes for learning and productivity to provide deeper understanding about where their true strengths lie. Students can review their development year over year, and in their final academic year, they receive a comprehensive report with recommendations for ideal career paths.

Career guidance is a crucial element of the WISE Foundation. The Steele family believes nothing drives a student more than having a targeted career path, one that helps them measure their own success while providing milestones to get them to their goals in life.

The portal uses AI-driven data analysis to track student progress using a three-pronged point system intended to weigh academic achievement, extracurricular accomplishments, volunteer service and other nonformal educational experiences, such as the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award. Upon graduation, the points earned convert to dollar amounts for college scholarships — it’s truly learn to earn.

We’re building the entire platform not only to measure progress, but also to create a community of students, guidance counselors, scholarship administrators, donors and partners. Over time, the portal will play host to a mentorship program, e-learning opportunities, an e-marketplace, live chat support and an option for real-time giving.

We know the world is full of bright individuals with the potential to make a difference, if only given the means to success. They have ambitions and dreams. We’re building the technology to help them achieve it.

Learn more about the WISE Scholarship program at thesteelefamilyfoundation.com/wise-scholarship-program.

Are you on a mission to make the world a brighter place? See how we’ve helped other organizations turn ambitious goals into solutions that became game-changers.

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