The Future of Education

So much has changed in the last couple of years, and education is no exception. The way students are absorbing information and innovating means they are, consequently, developing different skills. Most of the time, skills are much more important than standardized testing to evaluate a student’s level of intelligence.

Sure, grades are important because it is a way to evaluate dedication, attention, comprehension, and responsibility, but we prefer not to include each student in a “box” categorizing their level of intellect by a figure that not everyone attains the same way.

The pandemic shifted millions of students across the world to online classes, but teachers quickly realized that video classes are not enough to keep students engaged and involved. There are players in the education fields innovating and eradicating education as we know it. The app Qoorio connects people with knowledge in certain things to people who want to learn these things, making the learning process a deeper and more valuable one than simply reading from a book, while at the same time encouraging the importance of networking. Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality are leading how we experience things nowadays, and it has been proven that the more immersive an experience, the most we absorb. MelScience is training the next generation of scientists by providing monthly AR/VR sets to teach science to kids aged 5 through 16 right from their homes, making these experiments a truly magical learning experience, while at the same time, safely. The creative computing company, Artica, created the first-ever set of modules that allow anyone to set up their own mixing desk to interact with anything they create, such as lights, sound, robots. ConveGenius is an education tech startup focused on closing the gap in educational achievement for kindergarten through 12th-grade students through inclusive and comprehensive technology, and lastly, preparing the next generation of digital creators is Ironhack, offering intensive courses and bootcamps in web development, UX/UI design, data analytics, and cybersecurity.

Different learning methods cannot be fully successful if the way we evaluate results continues to stay the same. There are lots of ways to learn and excel in today's world and different students need different approaches. In the 21st century, being curious is more valuable than getting perfect grades in history and the ability to problem solve real-world challenges is more important than algebra.

At Paper Wings we want to reward the curious minds, those hungry to learn and those with open minds to see the world through different perspectives to solve issues that have not been solved before. Through this unique opportunity and approach, we want to help students get real-world experience to deepen their knowledge and passion. Therefore, when applying for Paper Wings, we will not ask for your extracurricular activities or your high-school grades, instead, we are more interested in who you want to become and how you plan to get there.

Send us your pitch in a three-minute video, tell us your innovative tech idea and that could potentially have a positive impact on the world. We also want to see your autobiography +30 years from today, where do you see yourself and who are you in 2035? Lastly, send us a letter you would send to a renowned Tech CEO and give them advice on what technology they could build to create a better tomorrow.

This year’s superhero winner will have access to a fully sponsored career in STEM, paid internships at Didimo, Weezie, Sphere, and Infraspeak, along with mentorships throughout the years from these CEOs.

We created this initiative because we believe that if we support each other, we can make it further and create a domino effect in solidarity, hence our large community in addition to the startups helping us make this possible like University of Porto, Vieira de Almeida, Ideias Glaciares, Bynd Venture Capital, The Square, Politécnico of Porto, Stand4Good, LabRP, Vencer Autismo, Women Who Tech, Founders Founders and Câmara of Porto.

Are you a curious learner, open-minded, and honest heart individual? Paper Wings is the scholarship you have been waiting for!

Applications are open until August 22nd and we hope to receive yours!