Belouga is a web based educational platform that connects classrooms around

the world.Our mission is to encourage intercultural

communication to create a better tomorrow.

The ProblemDespite recent technological advances, we as humans remain very disconnected from other cultures around the world. This

disengagement creates misconceptions that limit our collective potential.

Reward Program

Classroom Rewards earned as a collective effort

between both classrooms.

Teacher Dashboard

An intuitive dashboard that

allows teachers to monitor student

communication and progress.

Penpal 2.0

A fun, interactive social platform that matches students from

classrooms around the world.

The Solution

The ProcessFrom registration to live interaction with classrooms around the world, our process is built to make it easy for students and teachers to get started and stay engaged with our community year after year.

Teacher registers and invites students Getting teachers on board is the first step. We’ve already established a network of teachers from key markets to create relevant curriculum and to onboard an initial cohort.

Class & Student Profile Setup. Teachers will complete a class profile, referred to as a Passport. The Passport will provide an in-depth look into each culture. In parallel, students will be asked to complete a personal profile which will include educational content that will prepare them for the engagement.

Class matched. Once a profile is complete, our platform will match classrooms. They will receive each other’s profiles and the teacher and students will review it together during an in-class session.

Engagement: Once completed, Students will be paired with one or a few individuals from the matched classroom. They will start interacting together through guided content that will help them connect on the similarities and better understand the differences found within their personal profiles. The exercises will include photo, audio clips and video.

Reward. Teachers and students will be able to gain and redeem points for rewards that improve their learning experience both in and out of the classroom. These points will be transferable between classrooms on Belouga, and can make a major difference to classrooms in need of supplies.

Continued Communication: An added reward for the students will be the ability to unlock a direct chat with their new connections. This will allow them to continue the communication well past the initial interaction.

The Process

Market ResearchPrior to platform development, a survey was conducted amongst 100 educators from different parts of the world that included the United States, Canada, Sweden, Ghana, Spain and Australia. Key findings that will be used in platform development were the following:

Yes No Maybe

Would you have your class use a platform that teaches and

connects them with students around the world?

Do you have tablets or computers in your classroom

available to your students? If so, how many hours per week do

students work on them?

1-5 Hours 5-10 Hours 10+ Hours

No Comp Lab

What would influence your decision to use a global collaboration platform?

Ranked in average order.

$ Price

Student Interest

Parent Approval

Usability

Rewards forStudents

Rewards for Classroom

Evin Schwartz, Founder/CEO. Evin is a serial startup exec with 9+ years experience overseeing marketing, business development and operations with marketplace focused companies. His previous company, The Convos, connected brands to the millennial demographic through physical and digital marketing strategies. He is responsible for the overall growth of Belouga and platform adoption in classrooms around the world.

Management Team

Jordan Hauge, Co-Founder/CTO. Jordan has 7+ years experience in UI/UX and front-end development. He has worked with Fortune 500 companies such as Citigroup and AIG and numerous tech startups. Jordan also brings natural leadership to the team having spent years as an EMS Lieutenant and Firefighter. He is responsible for platform frontend development along with design implementation for Belouga.

Leo Nendza, Lead Backend Developer. Leo is a versatile software developer of client-side applications. Mainly working in the healthcare and education domains, he has 10+ years developing tools and applications for use by end users to help the achieve their goals. He has extensive experience with object oriented programming, scripting and database architecture. He is responsible for the database architecture and server-side applications for the company.

Michael Lindblad• 2016 National Education Association/Oregon

Education Teacher of the Year • 2015 Oregon State Teacher of the Year

LeAnn M. Morris• 2008 Nevada State Teacher of the Year• Lead Technology Integration Specialist for

Carson City School District

Lori Michalec• 2015 Ohio Teacher of the Year • Teaching, Learning & Curriculum Studies

Advisory Board at Kent State University

Board of EducatorsAmna Manzoor• Sr. ICT Teacher in Dubai, United Arab Emirates• Common Sense Digital Citizenship Certified

Educator

Maggie Mabery• 2015 California Teacher of

the Year • 2015 Apple Distinguished Educator

Helena Lewin • 16+ years working with ICT Projects• Middle School English & French Teacher in

Stockholm, Sweden

Jairus Makambi• Founder of Cheery Children Education Centre

in Nairobi, Kenya• Worked with 150+ schools through ICT

Projects

Bronwyn Joyce• International Education Presenter on

Globalizing Classrooms• Elementary School Teacher in Traralgon,

Australia

Viviana Lopez Larretchart• Primary Head at Bilingual School in Buenos

Aires, Argentina• Founder of digital community Bringing The

World Into The Classroom, 400+ teachers around the world

Poonam Sharma• Recipient of Appreciation & Innovation Letter

at Vidya Niketan Birla Public School• English Teacher in Pilani, India

Khurram Arif• Co-founder of the ELENA Foundation• Teach for Pakistan & Teach For All Alumnus

Hikmat Al Khansa• Co-founder of the ELENA Foundation• Middle School English & Civics Teacher &

Teach for Lebanon Fellow

THANKYOU!

Evin SchwartzFounder

Evin@belouga.org