2025 wrapped up - Advancing Educational Equity 

The following opening message is from the founders

What a fantastic year it has been! As we celebrate the milestones and memories that made this past year so special, we’re filled with gratitude for your continued support and enthusiasm. Now, with 2026 here, we’re excited to embrace new opportunities and start the year with fresh inspiration and creative ideas to engage and delight you from day one.

We’re also thrilled to highlight the ongoing work of The Ohio State University Student Leadership Research Collaborative. This unique initiative brings together students from multiple school districts, giving them a structured platform to research, discuss, and solve real-world issues that matter to them. Through collaboration, advocacy, and leadership, these students are driving meaningful change in their communities and beyond

Here’s to making 2026 our best year yet—together!

Learn Kernel

Learn Kernel Partners with The Ohio State University SLRC Program

Dr. Keith M. Bell, Sr., an education leader affiliated with The Ohio State University’s College of Education and Human Ecology, leads the Ohio State Student Leadership Research Collaborative (SLRC), an initiative dedicated to amplifying student voice through leadership development and applied research. The collaborative brings together students from multiple school districts to engage in qualitative and quantitative research, develop advocacy skills, and present findings that address real challenges in their schools and communities. Through this work, students become informed leaders and changemakers, supported by university faculty and district partners.

Dr. Keith Bell sat down with us to discuss how this partnership will transform access to educational resources for underserved communities.

"Learn Kernel's platform provides the technological foundation we need to collect meaningful data on student leadership development while ensuring equitable access across diverse student populations," explains Dr. Bell.

Our Partnership with SLRC

Through a growing partnership with Learn Kernel, the Student Leadership Research Collaborative is further strengthening its mission to provide students with equitable access to learning tools and opportunities. Learn Kernel’s secure, offline learning technology helps ensure that all students—regardless of connectivity or socioeconomic barriers—can participate fully in research, leadership development, and academic growth. Together, this partnership supports student voices, bridges the digital and educational divide, and expands access to high-quality learning experiences for every learner.

Lucas Metropolitan Housing –

Young Children’s Program

"Learn Kernel has helped us identify and address technology access gaps for our most vulnerable students."  Devona Townsend, Education Equity Specialist, Director, Lucas Metropolitan Housing – The Middleground Program

At Lucas Metropolitan Housing’s Middleground program, young children spend focused time on Learn Kernel each day, building patience, understanding, and excitement as they engage with topic-based videos and activities. Early access to digital learning helps children recognize that knowledge is always within reach and teaches them to use technology as informed learners and future creators. Learn Kernel allows educators to easily load customized content—from videos to guided activities—tailored to what children need most. The Middleground gives Learn Kernel an A.

What specific skills or experiences do you hope young children will gain through the Learn Kernel program?

"My kids come to program and they have to spend 15-20 on the Learn Kernel and they love it, they put their headphones on and watch the videos geared towards that week's topic and they demonstrate patience and understanding of the materials."

How do you see early access to digital learning shaping children’s future educational opportunities?

"Early access to digital learning is very important because children have to realize the vast avenues of knowledge laying in the palms of their hands. My goal is teach the kids how to use technology for informative purposes how to be knowledge consumers and creators of content from a educated point of view. In a nutshell access to answers for every questionthe could think of asking."

"The Learn Kernel is a breakthrough for me I can load any information that I feel the kids need to know in the form of PowerPoints, videos,  and guided activities." 

Escuela Smart Academy

With Learn Kernel integrated as an instructional support technology, students gain consistent, offline access to Ohio-aligned Math and ELA content, strengthening engagement, independence, and foundational skills. The devices support self-paced, multimodal learning and bilingual instruction, helping reduce language barriers and close learning gaps anytime, anywhere. For teachers, Learn Kernel enhances classroom instruction through customizable, differentiated resources without adding technical burden. Student feedback will be collected following Winter Break to better understand their experience using the devices at home.

 "We expect to see growth in foundational skills in both Math and ELA, particularly for students who benefit from repetition, multimodal instruction, and self-paced learning. The ability to preload Ohio-aligned ELA and Math materials including assessments, videos, and PDF's supports targeted practice and reinforcement of grade-level standards."

Natasha Allen President 

What changes or improvements do you anticipate in student learning outcomes with Learn Kernel integration?

"With the integration of Learn Kernel as an Instructional Support Technology (Title I–IV), we anticipate meaningful improvements in student access, engagement, and independent learning. The Pocket Tutor devices provide students with consistent, offline access to high-quality instructional content, allowing learning to continue beyond the school day and without reliance on internet connectivity.

We expect to see growth in foundational skills in both Math and ELA, particularly for students who benefit from repetition, multimodal instruction, and self-paced learning. The ability to preload Ohio-aligned ELA and Math materials including assessments, videos, and PDF's supports targeted practice and reinforcement of grade-level standards.

Additionally, the availability of bilingual ELA content (Spanish and English) will support our multilingual learners by reducing language barriers and increasing comprehension, confidence, and academic ownership. Overall, Learn Kernel has the potential to strengthen student independence, increase time on task, and close learning gaps by providing equitable access to instructional resources anytime and anywhere."

How do you envision Learn Kernel supporting teachers in delivering engaging and effective lessons?

"Learn Kernel supports teachers by serving as a flexible instructional tool that enhances, not replaces, strong classroom instruction. Teachers can use the devices to reinforce concepts taught in class, provide targeted support for small groups, and extend learning opportunities beyond the school day.

Because content can be customized, updated, and aligned to current units of study, teachers are able to intentionally select resources that meet the diverse academic and linguistic needs of their students. The offline functionality is especially powerful, as it removes common barriers related to connectivity and allows teachers to focus on instruction rather than troubleshooting technology.

Learn Kernel also supports differentiated instruction by allowing students to engage with content at their own pace through video, audio, and visual formats. This empowers teachers to maximize instructional time while ensuring students receive consistent, high-quality practice aligned to classroom goals.

We look forward to sending out a survey to those students that were sent home with it over the Winter break to get feedback on what they thought of it.  "

Global Link 2025: Chicago Recap

Connecting Leaders, Shaping Futures

In 2025, Learn Kernel attended TransPerfect GlobalLink, strengthening our commitment to delivering localized, multilingual digital learning through offline, single-purpose devices. The event reinforced our shared focus on expanding access to culturally relevant, high-quality educational content for learners worldwide. Together, we continue working to close learning gaps and support multilingual communities with accessible, future-ready education solutions.

OSBA Capital Conference: Columbus Recap

Connecting Leaders, Shaping Futures

Learn Kernel was proud to participate in the OSBA Conference held November 16–18, 2025, where education leaders from across Ohio and beyond came together to share insights and innovations. It was a valuable opportunity to engage with school administrators, educators, and decision-makers focused on improving student access and learning outcomes. The conversations reinforced the growing need for practical, scalable instructional support technologies in today’s classrooms. We appreciated the strong interest in offline, student-centered learning solutions and the collaborative spirit of the conference. Learn Kernel looks forward to continuing these discussions and connecting with more school systems across the United States in 2026.