Sown To Grow
Sown To Grow, based in Oakland and Menlo Park, CA, is an education technology company that enhances student well-being through social-emotional learning tools and has been recognized for its innovative use of AI and technology in education.
Company Overview
Sown To Grow, formerly known as SOwn to Grow, is an education technology company based in Oakland, CA, and Menlo Park, CA. The company is part of the IK12 Y-Combinator batch and operates with a team of 16 members. Sown To Grow focuses on empowering schools and districts across the United States to enhance student social, emotional, and academic well-being. The company supports schools and districts across 40 states, providing both school-level and district-level implementation plans.
Educational Technology and Curriculum
Sown To Grow offers a CASEL-aligned curriculum designed to improve social-emotional learning (SEL) for students. The platform incorporates a variety of features, including concerning reflection alerts, responsive feedback for emotional reflections, learning strategies for academic reflections, and strategic reflection quality ratings. The technology developed by Sown To Grow is done in partnership with the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Education.
AI and Data Management
Sown To Grow leverages artificial intelligence with a strong emphasis on integrity. The company ensures educator oversight, transparency, and vigilance against unintended bias in data. This approach is aimed at building trust and leveraging team diversity to provide effective tools for educators to support student growth in self-awareness, self-regulation, self-efficacy, and perseverance.
Implementation Plans and Support
Sown To Grow offers comprehensive implementation plans at both the school and district levels. These plans feature school-wide software licenses, professional development (PD) and coaching support, a CASEL-aligned curriculum, and SEL competencies assessment. District-level plans also include custom pricing, district-wide software licenses, advanced technology scaffolds, and custom reports that provide detailed insights into student well-being and academic skills.
Recognition and Impact
In 2024, Sown To Grow received the Top Learning Environment & Student Support Technology Product award by District Administration & the Future of Education Technology Conference. The platform has had a significant impact, with 85% of teachers stating it helped them deliver more consistent and higher quality feedback. Additionally, students were 22% more likely to share their thoughts, feelings, and emotions with teachers after using the platform.