UK team semifinalist in Global Learning XPRIZE

LONDON (June 21, 2017) - London-based nonprofit onebillion has been selected as one of 11 semifinalists from seven countries in the $15 million Global Learning XPRIZE, a competition that challenges teams from all over the world to develop open source and scalable software that will enable children in developing countries to teach themselves basic reading, writing and arithmetic. The Global Learning XPRIZE is partnered with UNESCO, the World Food Programme and the Government of Tanzania.

An independent panel of expert judges will now select five finalists, who will be awarded $1 million each. Their solutions will be made open source and evaluated in a rigourous field trial with 4,000 children in Tanzania, who will each receive a tablet donated by Google. The software that proves most effective will be awarded the Grand Prize of $10 million. The XPRIZE Foundation will support the winner to ensure children around the world will benefit from their software.

onebillion is one of only two semifinalists from Europe. The nonprofit has substantial experience with developing numeracy and literacy software that succeeds in teaching children. Independent studies showed significant learning gains in both the UK and Malawi

Their numeracy software is already used in more than a hundred schools in Malawi, and by more than 100,000 children around the world. onebillion's goal is to bring quality education to children wherever they are. The literacy software will be rolled out in Malawi later this year.

The basic skills of numeracy and literacy are crucial for children to escape poverty. UNESCO estimates that 171 million people could be lifted out of poverty, if all students in low-income countries left school with basic reading skills.