MATHAYOG, an online after-school K-12 Math platform using cutting-edge educational software, was one of the 20 finalists in the prestigious MIT LEAP 2023 Challenge.

The MIT LEAP Challenge, organized by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Solve and the Jacobs Foundation, recognizes groundbreaking and scalable projects in education technology. For its 2023 challenge, it welcomed AI education platforms that provides solutions to improve learning outcomes for children aged 2-12.

Mathayog is a flagship product of the ed-tech software startup Eduk.ai and was first incubated in 2021 at the Miriam College-Technical Business Incubator housed under Miriam College’s Henry Sy, Sr. Innovation Center. The platform — the name of which was inspired by the Filipino word ‘matayog’ meaning ‘lofty’, ‘noble’, or ‘great’— is designed to improve students’ word problem-solving skills through personalized instruction and feedback. It utilizes advanced technology with proven teaching methodologies to make mathematics engaging, interactive, and accessible to learners of all levels.

“We are honored to be selected as one of the finalists in the MIT LEAP 2023 Challenge,” said CEO and founder of Eduk.ai Joanne Sison, who was selected among 242 global applicants.

“This recognition further validates our mission to revolutionize mathematics education and provide students with the tools they need to succeed in the digital age. We are excited to collaborate with the MIT community and fellow finalists to create lasting impact in the field of education,” she said.

A math teacher for more than 20 years, Sison pushed for the development of Mathayog upon learning of the country’s poor ranking in the 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment where the Philippines placed second to last in math out of 79 countries.

She attributes the problem to several factors, including learning deficiencies where Filipino children under age 10 still lack basic reading skills, big student-teacher ratio in classrooms, student’s lack of foundational skills to grasp new math concepts, and, more recently, learning losses due to the pandemic.