Baiyina Jihad, founder of EdTech startup Beyond the Classroom, has been named a 4.0 School’s Tiny Fellow. Launched during our Hack The Violence Pre-accelerator cohort, Beyond the Classroom combines tech, literacy and mentorship in the fight to keep students in the classroom and off the streets. It’s mobile application gives 3rd and 4th grade students a chance to pick books from curated reading lists and be matched with a professional literacy coach. After reviewing over 550 applications and interviewing more than 60 finalists, 4.0 Schools offered Jihad a spot into Wave 5 of their Tiny Fellowship program, which will culminate with a camp weekend in New Orleans, September 13-16, 2018.

“I am so excited to be working with 4.0 Schools to improve national literacy rates through personalized on-demand coaching experience,” says  Jihad. “Since participating in the Hack The Violence Pre-Accelerator, Beyond the Classroom has been making many strides for classroom-aged children, and this is the latest one.”

The Tiny Classroom Fellowship program takes founders from ideas with early traction to a point of growth. Founders are taught how to run a pilot program by expert coaches, support by a community of pilot peers, and receive a $10,000 grant for their respective organizations.

“It has been amazing watching the journey of Beyond the Classroom,” says Joey Womack, founder of Goodie Nation. “Baiyina, who is combination of great talent and extreme passion, is a believer in the reading capabilities of young people and being named a Tiny Fellow is a testament to her commitment and shows her forward momentum with this project. We want to do all we can to continue supporting her dream.”

Beyond the Classroom joins the ranks of Goodr, Civic Dinner, Mini City, and more as graduates of Impact Pre-Accelerator that have gone on to help change the world for the better. At Goodie Nation, our goal is to encourage and steer even more companies like Beyond the Classroom to their ultimate success.