Today, Neurable is proud to announce our partnership with The Knowledge Society (TKS), an organization providing rigorous 10-month STEM and entrepreneurship programs for more than 1,000 students across 32 countries. Together, Neurable and TKS are ensuring that driven high school students don’t have to wait until college or advanced degree programs to have access to hands-on opportunities in tech innovation. 

At a time when only 20% of high school graduates are prepared for a college STEM major, the mission to empower high school students in their learning has never been more important. In the wake of the pandemic, as education experiences a transformational shift, it’s critical that students have access to the tools and hands-on experience necessary for self-discovery. 

This partnership is designed to give students an inside perspective on the next wave of emerging technology, as well as provide them with valuable hands-on experiences in shaping the future of innovation. Already, Neurable and TKS have collaborated on a variety of initiatives to inspire students and help them recognize their potential. Today, we’re excited to share just a few examples of those projects, and look ahead to what’s next. 

Hands-on Mentorship

Through virtual “office hours” and open Discord channels, TKS students have direct access to Neurable experts in technology, innovation, and business. The mentors on our team encourage questions about advanced topics in neuroscience, artificial intelligence, and more; each interaction is an opportunity for students and mentors alike to learn more and stay curious. 

In highly technical fields like neuroscience and machine learning—particularly when it comes to brain-computer interfaces (BCIs)—close mentorship is critical in order for students to see themselves as future innovators within the industry. With access to direct lines of communication with experienced scientists and entrepreneurs at Neurable, students can form connections and meet role models early in their careers. 

Learning by Doing

Just as important as the opportunity to learn through mentors is the opportunity to learn through hands-on experience. For instance, Neurable Co-Founder and Head of Partnerships Adam Molnar served as a judge at TKS’ recent Moonshot Pitch Competition, in which students were empowered to work on and present their transformative ideas. 

What’s more, Neurable was thrilled to host TKS students at Neurable HQ in Boston for an all-night hackathon this spring. TKS representatives from around the world had access to Neurable’s full lab facilities and latest prototypes—technology that many wouldn’t have had the chance to experience until graduate school. Final projects resulting from the hackathon included stress levels measured and tracked with stress, marketing analysis and review, silent communication, and interest analysis. Student teams also compiled whitepapers on each project. 

“The folks at Neurable are able to fit 20 individual EEG channels into earcups! When they said they’re making ubiquitous BCI, they meant it. And they’re some of the kindest, most knowledgeable people in the field—they provided us with the insights necessary to build the crazy stuff that we did in 24 hours,” said Anush Mutyala, a TKS Toronto Innovator. “It only hit me a day after the hackathon that my team and I were just casually talking to the CEO of Neurable. I’ve been a fan of Dr. Ramses ever since I got into the field, and the fact that he set up the time out to help us out was amazing.”

Looking to the Future

As we’ve witnessed from the past year of remote classes that caused students to miss out on important in-person research and lab experiences, a one-size-fits-all approach to learning isn’t sufficient. Today, it’s more critical than ever to provide new avenues for students to take true ownership over their learning.

As such, Neurable and TKS are excited to engage across a variety of pilot programs to help students better understand their own learning styles, in part through hands-on experience with BCI technology. For instance, attention measurements from Neurable products like Enten can help students discover how they learn best. We believe in the importance of users owning their own data, so these students own these tools as part of the process of self-discovery. And with access to Neurable’s resources, mentors, products, and the chance to engage with real-world challenges and opportunities, TKS students are growing in their technology and entrepreneurship capabilities, while sharing in meaningful new experiences alongside their peers. In fact, Neurable has even brought on top TKS students as summer interns due to their talent and work ethic. 

“What TKS is doing is truly amazing—they take precocious high school students and fortify them in ways traditional educational institutes fall short,” said Adam Molnar, Neurable Co-Founder and Head of Partnerships. “We’re consistently inspired by the curiosity, determination, and creativity TKS students bring to the table, and have been thrilled to provide them the opportunities to engage with the next generation of BCI technology. We can’t wait to see what this partnership inspires them to do next.”