The First Run.

Aim: Use Wavie technology to connect kids in need to Harvard students for advice on getting into college. Boosting communication, reinvesting knowledge and facilitating inspiration.

February 2022 we ran the first live connection of Wavie Village connecting a Harvard Student to a child in Los Angeles. This was hosted on the Wavie Village digital platform so there was a live direct connection between participants.

The system has built in language filters to prevent any profanity and there were no identifiers shared so the student didn't know the name of the child or any other information on the other end as a way of ensuring privacy. To have an account on the system verification is needed and it's not open to the public which is why we were able to ensure no personal identifiers.

The child asked the student a number of questions about getting into Harvard and the process. Having a pretty high GPA the child was very bright and it was interesting that they had no idea what an Ivy League school was. So by opening this dialogue on Wavie Village we were able to show what is out there in the world. Being a personal connection to a real student added to the experience.

Our next focus will be on doing similar trials in remote villages in India using Google translate to aid the conversation. We want to push the technology to the limit and see how far we can take it.

Why?

I grew up in Gisborne, a small low-socioeconomic city on the coast of New Zealand (ranks in the bottom 20% of OECD regions*). five hours (370km) from the closest major university, six hours (479km) from Auckland University (the leading institute in NZ). I speak about the economics of the area for the sake of highlighting social issues, I really enjoyed my childhood, It's not a matter of accumulating material, but giving kids hope, a path and something to break the cycle which otherwise causes great complications.

On the first day at Auckland University my backpack weighed 20kg as I thought we had to bring all prescribed textbooks to class. In highschool we never really saw or got to speak to university students. We had no exposure to what it involves or even entry requirements. Even the speed at which people walked at in the big city was surprising. It took me 40 minutes to walk there, later averaging to 20minutes as everyone in the city walks so fast.

I was the only one from my whole school that year to attend Auckland University, but my classmates were all much more special than me, talented and had personality. They just needed direction. So how do I change this in the world?

How can we possibly develop communities in such settings without innovation without showing kids what's out there in the world? That's why re-investing knowledge and encouraging children to think big is so crucial.

- Mussie