The Problem: What problem are you attempting to solve, and how big is it?
Children suffering from school refusal systematically fall out of the education system because traditional teaching methods fail to meet their individual learning needs. Today, 110,000 children have experienced school refusal—equivalent to one in five students. This target group becomes isolated at home during their school years, which later leads to difficulties in securing and maintaining employment, costing society 2.2 billion annually. Research shows that the most critical factor for these students is restoring their self-confidence regarding learning; they need to experience learning as a positive activity and process the traumas that led to their school refusal (The Back2School Modular Cognitive Behavioral Intervention, 2024). Therefore, before attempting to reintegrate students into the physical school environment, it is crucial to rebuild their confidence and bring them up to the academic level of their peers to reduce feelings of stigmatization.
The Solution: What is your idea? Describe your product or service.
GradeAid is an AI agent that creates personalized learning experiences. Students simply scan their homework or verbalize what they wish to learn. Our AI then generates tailored content derived from pedagogically validated materials, specifically designed for children who lack academic confidence or have fallen behind. The system continuously learns from the student's interactions and automatically adapts the curriculum. This helps restore the self-confidence and joy of learning that many of these students lack, while ensuring the process is both personalized and fun.
The platform features a 24/7 AI tutor providing instant feedback. Through gamification, students earn coins for their virtual pets. This approach was selected because research has long established that gamification effectively builds confidence and helps children re-engage with learning (Impact of gamification on school engagement: a systematic review, 2024).
Instead of forcing the child to fit the system, our technology adapts to the child's way of learning. Our intention is to build confidence so that children find it easier to return to school, equipped with the mental energy to focus on social reintegration. The platform supports both English and Danish. We are currently testing the Danish version.