Out of the Box Education

Out Of The Box Education, Inc. is a consumer edtech company founded at MIT that develops an all-in-one learn-and-play system for young children. Its flagship product is a patent-pending "classroom-in-a-box": a modular, mobile hardware unit whose components can be reconfigured to transform any space into a learning and playing environment, designed for children ages two and above and intended to grow with the child. The hardware is paired with an artificial-intelligence-enabled digital platform that delivers personalized learning journeys matched to each child's learning needs, together with an expandable learning library.

The digital side of the offering includes learning journeys (roadmaps with development milestones), printables for off-screen learning, micro lessons and videos scaled to children's attention spans, digital resources covering different subjects and learning modalities, and research-based learn-and-play materials aimed at core development skills. The company positions its approach around guided, play-focused learning, citing Cambridge University research indicating that letting children explore at their own pace can be as effective as a traditional classroom for teaching literacy, critical thinking and numeracy.

Founding story

The company was founded at MIT with the philosophy that meaningful learning and play can take place everywhere rather than only in traditional schools. Cofounder Yu Qian Ang, whose mother was a preschool teacher for over 20 years, cited children's differing learning styles and the limits of traditional asymmetric instruction as the inspiration for the project. The product was developed as part of the MIT DesignX program.

Business model

The company sells a consumer hardware product (the classroom-in-a-box) combined with a digital subscription platform. Its site presents a one-time cost option covering weekly personalized digital resources, personalized micro-classes, development-appropriate learning journeys, progress reports and expert support, unlimited software access, and a new classroom-in-a-box set or expansion each year, alongside monthly payment options.

Traction

The company has collected sign-ups through a beta waitlist on its website and ran a Kickstarter campaign beginning 27 September 2022. It reports multiple international awards, including the audience choice award at the World Bank Youth Summit and recognition in Fast Company's World Changing Ideas and Innovation by Design.

Latest developments

In September 2022 the company announced the launch of its classroom-in-a-box with digital platform and a subsequent Kickstarter campaign, with backers given the option to support bringing the product to underprivileged children.