Comcast NBCUniversal, BUILD.org Partner on Digital Curriculum for Under-Resourced Students

SAN FRANCISCO, September 21, 2020 /3BL Media/ - BUILD and Comcast NBCUniversal are introducing a new virtual digital curriculum to help teachers and out of school providers as students struggle to adapt to remote learning across the country.

BUILD's COVID-19 Virtual Design Challenge will inspire high school students nationwide to leverage technology to create entrepreneurial solutions for today's challenges. BUILD and Comcast are committed to using their resources to level the playing field for all students, regardless of zip code or income. To increase open opportunity nationwide, they are asking educators, mentors, and nonprofits to sign up for the challenge and for everyone to share the curriculum with their network.

This new curriculum is a key part of BUILD's new partnership with Comcast. As a media and technology company, Comcast believes in the power of the technology to facilitate economic opportunity.

"In order to successfully engage in the digital economy, our young people need exposure to high quality experiences that will challenge their critical thinking skills," said Dalila Wilson-Scott, Senior Vice President for Community Impact at Comcast and President of the Comcast NBCUniversal Foundation. "We are excited to leverage BUILD's expertise in experiential learning to launch a new digital curriculum which builds skills that will hold value well beyond the current pandemic."

The challenge expands upon BUILD's expertise in creating experiential learning for students, complete with the guidance of facilitators and trainings offered to schools, nonprofits, and teachers in search of engaging, culturally responsive, project-based digital content that inspires innovation with Black and Latinx youth.

"We designed the Challenge to help students replace their fears and anxieties in the pandemic, and put them in the driver's seat by enabling them to create real solutions that promote mental and physical wellness in their communities during COVID," said Ayele Shakur, BUILD CEO.

In response to the lack of quality culturally relevant digital content, the curriculum invites the user to explore the real stories of people in under-resourced communities of color who have been most impacted by the effects of COVID-19. The website is mobile app enabled, allowing students to access through either their Chromebook or cell phone. Additional educator support includes a Teacher's Guide, a back-end Google Classroom and Teacher Orientation Sessions to assist with facilitation of the challenge to students.

Comcast and BUILD believe this Challenge will allow students to move from a place of helplessness to a place of problem solving, agency and power. The curriculum, educator guide, and other resources for the Challenge are available at www.BUILD.org/Virtual. Sign up and share with your networks nationwide.