In 2020, the world was swept by a global pandemic. It disrupted the lives of millions; many lost their jobs, students were forced to leave schools, and children were left with little to do while quarantined at their houses. Although the media outlets covered very little of how children were being affected by COVID-19, it was obvious that their group was not immune to the issues the world was facing. Being stuck at home with little to do took a mental and physical toll on many kids. That is when EVOLVE Academy became an idea; our team wanted to create a fully online platform for children to help them practice and evolve their athletics skills, or simply spend part of their day performing a physical and health activity. Our team designed a solution that would benefit children, as well as parents that were struggling to find engaging activities for their kids while out of school. We quickly encountered issues that made it difficult for us to reach our target audience and make them believe and trust our platform. However, we persisted and tried to solve and answer the questions and problems that came along the way. Sadly, the same pandemic that opened the widow for EVOLVE Academy to exist, is now the reason people are walking away from it. Children want real interaction. They want to connect with other kids through more than just a screen. Although the priority of parents remains the safety and security of their kids, parents are also searching and opting for more “human” interactions, leaving EVOLVE Academy with little room to grow and succeed.
Details
- EVOLVE Academy: Keeping Children Engaged in Sports in a Digital Environment
- Parmenter, Taylor (Co-author)
- Hernandez, Melany (Co-author)
- Whitelocke, Kailas (Co-author)
- Byrne, Jared (Thesis director)
- Lee, Christopher (Committee member)
- Kunowski, Jeff (Committee member)
- Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor, Contributor, Contributor)
- Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law (Contributor)
- Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)