d'Vinci Interactive Awarded 1.69M Phase II SBIR Grant from The National Institutes of Health

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WORK WILL ADVANCE ADOPTION OF GENOMICS IN CLASSROOMS AND DISTANCE LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

Updated 1/12/22

d'Vinci Interactive, a leading K-12 learning technology solutions company, has been awarded a 1.69-million-dollar Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant for the "Blueprint of Life" Genomic Literacy Tool.

The grant award is funded from the Interactive Digital Media STEM Resources SBIR/STTR program which is sponsored by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences under the National Institutes of Health (NIH). In collaboration with partners The Jackson Laboratory (JAX) and WestEd, d'Vinci will build and launch an online, supplemental, curriculum product prototype that will undergo extensive educational evaluation.

BluePrintofLife.com will be the newest educational website for middle and high school students and their teachers that focuses on genomics as a pathway to improving educational outcomes in biology, STEM, and personal health. The virtual curriculum will cover molecular genetics, personalized medicine, bioinformatics, ethics, genetics science careers, and a viral genomics and vaccine development module that includes the application to the COVID-19 pandemic. The educational website will be developed to reach a wide range of learners and will be tailored to match students' diverse learning abilities. A Spanish language version will also be available.

"The current COVID-19 pandemic has increased the need for effective online curriculum solutions that support distance learning," commented Charles Wray, Ph.D., vice president for education at JAX. "We are looking forward to bringing our deep genetics and genomic content expertise to Blueprint of Life and creating an effective virtual learning experience that will equip teachers and inspire students."

"Genomics and genetics are subjects with ever-increasing relevance to everyday life" said d'Vinci COO Mason Scuderi. "We're excited to continue our work on Blueprint of Life and create an engaging and inspirational educational experience that reflects our diverse population and improves STEM learning outcomes for students of all abilities."

Designed to work in the classroom and in distance learning environments, the educational website will provide an expansive Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)-aligned science curriculum. Teachers will have access to real-time reports on all student progress with schools, and school districts able to report on learning metrics and outcomes associated with the adoption of the Blueprint of Life curriculum.

d'Vinci will launch the Blueprint of Life genomic literacy solution in spring 2023 as an online subscription-based product for teachers, schools, school districts and educational organizations.

Learn more at BluePrintofLife.com.

About NIGMS:

The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) supports basic research that increases our understanding of biological processes and lays the foundation for advances in disease diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. NIGMS-funded scientists investigate how living systems work at a range of levels from molecules and cells to tissues and organs, in research organisms, humans, and populations. NIGMS provides leadership in training the next generation of scientists, in enhancing the diversity of the scientific workforce, and in developing research capacity throughout the country.

About d'Vinci Interactive:

d'Vinci Interactive is learning technology company that partners with leading organizations to create interactive learning experiences, educational games, and websites that integrate into school curricula. d'Vinci holds longstanding partner relationships with SAE International, National Geographic, PBS LearningMedia, Discovery Education and the National Institutes of Health. The d'Vinci team consists of talented educational strategists, instructional designers, digital artists and web developers, with offices in Hagerstown, Maryland and Harrisburg, PA. For more information about d'Vinci Interactive, please visit www.dvinci.com.

About The Jackson Laboratory:

The Jackson Laboratory is an independent, nonprofit biomedical research institution with more than 2,200 employees. Headquartered in Bar Harbor, Maine, it has a National Cancer Institute-designated Cancer Center, a genomic medicine institute in Farmington, Conn., and facilities in Ellsworth, Maine, Sacramento, Calif., and Shanghai, China. Its mission is to discover precise genomic solutions for disease and empower the global biomedical community in the shared quest to improve human health. For more information, please visit www.jax.org.

About WestEd:

WestEd, a nonpartisan, nonprofit research, development, and service agency, works with education and other communities throughout the United States and abroad to promote excellence, achieve equity, and improve learning for children, youth, and adults. Success for every learner is WestEd's main goal and has been for more than 50 years. As a national leader in research, development, and service, WestEd takes on the toughest and most enduring challenges in education and human development. Our diverse staff collaborate with everyone from preschool teachers to federal policymakers to reduce opportunity gaps and promote positive outcomes for all children and adults. A steadfast commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion is central to that work.

Disclaimer: Research reported in this press release is supported by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences and the National Institutes of Health under the award number R44GM133222. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

Project Contact Information:

Mason Scuderi
d'Vinci Interactive
mscuderi@dvinci.com
240-913-8180
d'Vinci Interactive | 28 South Potomac Street, 4th Floor
Hagerstown, MD 21740
www.dvinci.com