A robust STEM-competent workforce is required for success in a global economy driven by technology and innovation, yet currently the U.S. is ranked 48th in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education by the World Economic Forum. Only 21 percent of U.S. high school seniors are proficient in science, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Only 16 percent are proficient in mathematics and interested in pursuing STEM careers. About half of U.S. public high school students who fail to graduate say they dropped out of school because their classes were neither interesting nor, they believed, relevant.

A recent start-up company originating from UGA research, IS3D is developing interactive software tools to help K-12 students learn STEM concepts by applying critical thinking skills to solve real-world problems.

Through partnerships with more than a dozen school districts, IS3D has developed animation and games, applications, e-books and interactive case studies that help students develop and hone the problem-solving skills required for successful careers in STEM fields.

To facilitate direct collaboration with teachers and students, IS3D relocated to space owned by the Clarke County School District. In exchange, IS3D provides free use of its products in Clarke County classrooms and offers training opportunities for students interested in business and software development.

IS3D contributes to local economic development through employment of 11 full-time and four hourly employees, including two UGA students. To date, IS3D has secured $3.9 million from federal and state grants. In 2013, the company received the inaugural “Startup of the Year Award” from Four Athens, a technology incubator in Athens, Ga, and it was recently named one of the Top 40 Innovation Technology Companies by the Technology Association of Georgia and is a finalist for the 2014 Atlanta Magazine Groundbreaker of the Year Award.

UGA expertise, support and services guided IS3D through its venture: 

• The UGA Technology Commercialization Office facilitated negotiations to license UGA-generated intellectual property to IS3D. 
• UGA VentureLab assisted IS3D in its application for funding from the Georgia Research Alliance (GRA), a nonprofit organization that works closely with the state’s research universities and the Georgia Department of Economic Development to spur technology-based economic development and innovation through technology transfer and start-up opportunities. 
• IS3D won $50,000 in GRA seed funding for proof-of-concept work, which allowed IS3D to improve its technologies, commission a market research report and compete for Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants. 
• The UGA Small Business Development Center (SBDC) provided training, education and consulting to the business. 
• Robertson completed the Kauffman Foundation FastTrac TechVenture Program, a six-week course offered by the SBDC, designed to give technology-related entrepreneurs the skills to launch a successful company. 
• The Georgia BioBusiness Center provided physical infrastructure and space to facilitate the company’s formation over two years.

For more information on IS3D visit: http://www.is3donline.com