Sidekick Education

Sidekick Education works to help students lower their math anxiety and build interest in math futures through SMS conversations with their identity-building chatbot.

Their big idea is to make Madison, WI, more skills-friendly by creating an SMS-based chatbot that can function as a career advisor in the back pocket of every youth in their city. Relying on a partnership between the City of Madison, local education institutions and employer workgroups,  Sidekick Education, a Madison nonprofit that specializes in AI-powered education technology, has built a skills-building chatbot that can help youth:

• Discover opportunities and careers that align with their goals and aspirations
• Identify the skills or steps they need to take to access these futures
• Connect with the right resources or people at the right times who can help them step into their futures

This chatbot will talk with youth about their interests, goals, and aspirations. Then, using identity-based nudges, the chatbot will help youth not only connect to the resources that will help them step into successful futures but also understand why and how these futures help them reach their goals and aspirations. The technology to power the chatbot is built and currently being used by high school students in Madison.