MAD-news for March: Planting seeds of innovation; MAD-learn and 4-H

March 17, 2025

Hi Guest,

Women’s History Month kicked off with an amazing post from Matt Joseph, shining light on some powerful, impactful, and trailblazing women in education. I am humbled to stand beside all of these women making HERstory. 

March 8th marks International Women’s Day, a time to reflect on the influential contributions of women throughout history. As we celebrate Women’s History Month, I find myself reflecting on the remarkable women in education who have influenced my growth as a leader and educator over the past year. Their work, dedication, and innovation have shaped my journey and paved the way
for countless others in the field.

Another highlight was being invited by GEAR UP New Mexico to keynote their Girls in STEM event. I loved getting to share my story and entrepreneurial inspiration with 110 middle school girls on the eve of International Women’s Day. Seeing their faces and hearing their ideas was exactly the reminder I needed to dig deeper in our mission to support all students, to provide access to experiences and resources for all students, and to stand proudly behind our nation’s public schools, which are the backbone of our neighborhoods. #EDMatters. 

– Alefiya Master

At East Cobb Middle School, students embraced MAD-learn as part of their participation in 4-H Ag Innovators Experience. They developed a range of apps that not only showcase their coding skills but also their understanding of agricultural needs. These apps include solutions for locating nearby farms, exploring hydroponics, and mastering farming techniques. Such initiatives exemplify how MAD-learn can bridge technology and agriculture, inspiring students to explore new areas of interest and innovation. Through MAD-learn, students gain invaluable skills and the confidence to create impactful solutions, proving that technology education can be a cornerstone in any curriculum, including 4-H.

Another prime example of this integration is the app SmartFarming, designed to revolutionize agriculture with AI-driven insights and tools, allowing users to enhance their farming practices using the latest technology.  This app was created by a student in Mary Mwangi’s class at Floyd Middle School.

Need a MAD-learn refresher or want to see what it’s all about?  We’ve created a new eLearning resource so you can learn the ins and out of the MAD-learn platform at your own time and pace.  Our MAD-learn platform training covers everything you need to get started with MAD-learn, from creating student accounts, classes, using AI, and how to build a mobile app using each step of the design thinking process.
This resource includes built-in videos that demonstrate each step of design thinking in MAD-learn, also making it a great way to introduce your students to the platform. Consider this your complete toolkit for integrating MAD-learn seamlessly into your classroom.

View our eLearning MAD-learn Platform Training

MAD-learn was proud to keynote the GEAR UP Girls STEM Pathways Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  Our CEO and Founder, Alefiya Master, shared her story to inspire more girls – and minorities – to passionately pursue their dreams, even in male-dominated fields.

We visited DeKalb County School District for a professional learning day and the GaSTC conference, where we were a proud sponsor. We also visited Florida for The School District of Palm Beach County’s Technology Conference and the Annual Cobb County CTAE Future Fest Career Festival. Also, our amazing Director of Internships and Marketing Coordinator, Doreen Frempong-Baah, is currently in Australia celebrating her brother’s wedding!

We love a teacher who thinks outside the box. Katy Hunt, who is in charge of the work-based learning program at Osborne High School, embodies just that.  We had the pleasure of working with Katy when she wanted to create an app for her students to use for their student-run tax center. They needed a better way for community members to schedule appointments and learn more about the documents they needed to bring. Now, Katy and her students are planning an app for their school-run coffee shop (yes, we’re jealous!) so students can use an app for their orders, which will streamline their process and make it much more efficient and easy to use, compared to their current system.  We can’t wait to see the final version of the Cardinal Coffee Company app.

… scheduling a time to learn more about our Summer App Camps and WBL Workshops. We are booking now for the summer and would love to have you on our list for this year! Pick a time here that works best for you – www.calendly.com/alefiya