Background & History

• In 2025, the application for a moonshot grant from Remake Learning Network did not get past the Letter of Intent stage. 
• In 2026, the letter of intent hurdle was passed, and the next part of the application is due at the end of January. Keep reading.
• Tip: Moonshot Grants are designed to support truly bold ideas. This is not the moment to play it safe. As you develop your proposal, we encourage you to push your thinking and lean into ideas that have the potential to meaningfully shift practice or systems.

2026 Moonshot Grant Application

Selected Working Group

Leverage AI tools to bring learners together—helping educators and young people to share ideas, co-create designs, projects, and/or solutions; and do something that they might not otherwise be able to do without AI. (AI)

Envision the Future (2035):

Describe your vision of a preferred future in 2035. Identify three attributes or characteristics that illustrate this future in action. What are specific things to which you would be able to point. What would it look like for this future to be reality? (Hit the green "+" to add additional attributes.)

AI as a Connector, Not a Director. In 2035, AI has become an invisible bridge that connects learners, mentors, and communities. Coaches, students, and families use The Coaching Wizard to ask better questions, spark reflection, and plan next steps together.

Learning Made Visible Through Visualization and Storytelling. By 2035, learning is something people can see, not just measure. Fluid Mechanics’ avatars and 3D visualizations allow learners to explore their own movement, patterns, and progress. We’ll create instant understanding, motivation, and agency through visual feedback.

Ecosystem Reciprocity and Shared Stewardship. In this future, learning ecosystems are co-owned. Schools, rec centers, nonprofits, and tech partners use AI to share insights, align strategies, and co-design programs with accountability and community voice. 

With our idea, we intend to challenge traditional notions of:

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Who holds knowledge and authority in coaching and youth programs. We challenge top‑down, credential‑only models by testing how youth, adult volunteers, and rookie coaches—even those with limited swim experience—can step into leadership roles with confidence, supported by AI‑guided reflection.

By testing/experimenting with:

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AI-generated reflection prompts, visual movement feedback, and shared journaling. The AI Wizard tests whether structured reflection helps youth and mentors co-interpret experience, strengthen communication, and build leadership, empathy, and awareness in ways traditional instruction alone does not.

We hope this will change our practice by:

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Embedding reflection habits into coaching shifts practice from drill-only instruction to intentional moments where youth voice, empathy, and civic identity matter as much as physical skill. We’ll coach the person, not just strokes—making pools places of growth, belonging, and purpose.

Through our findings, others might be able to:

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Adapt low-cost, ethical AI tools to cultivate leadership, empathy, equity, and learner agency in team settings. Schools, after-school programs, and communities can turn pools and courts into labs for social-emotional growth, reflection, and belonging—and replicate our AI Wizard approach.

Who's involved?

Successful Moonshots usually have 1-2 visionary leaders implementing the idea. Who are the main people responsible for project implementation? Why are they uniquely positioned for success?

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This project is led by Mark Rauterkus, an experienced aquatic educator, youth coach, and civic leader who has spent decades using sports to build community capacity in Pittsburgh and beyond. As director of summer swim camps, Mark brings a robust and passionate blend of grassroots organizing, educational design, and systems thinking.

The BGC, lead nonprofit sponsor, has deep roots in city neighborhoods. BGC offers place-based guidance, youth-centered values, and financial oversight—ensuring the project stays grounded in community needs.

Specialized collaborators:

The International Swim Coaches Association (ISCA), which brings national coaching networks, educational resources, and training capacity.

John Waldman and Fluid Mechanics, innovators in motion visualization avatars with 3D tools to help learners see and refine swim skills.

Steve Friederang, of Train Your Brain VR and Competitive Swimmer magazine, brings expertise in integrating virtual-reality mindset and movement training. His immersive approach helps youth build focus, confidence, and neuroplastic growth—extending the AI Wizard’s reflection model into embodied learning.

Barry Healey, U CAN Swim, is a global leader in inclusive aquatics. He supports outreach strategies for marginalized youth through a targeted curriculum.

John Hogg, PhD., author of Mental Skills for Young Athletes and companion online courses, contributes frameworks for reflection and social-emotional growth.

CrewLAB, through a joint venture with ISCA, provides a mobile app that supports communication, wellness check-ins, journaling, and team coordination.

Our AI backbone (Swim Influx, CloseBot, Extendly, and Go High Level) powers delivery of personalized reflection prompts, behavior tracking, secure messaging, and dashboards. The digital glue that integrates the AI Coaching Wizard’s core reflection experience happens at ISCA’s LAP.red CRM.

Swimming World Magazine will amplify youth voices via articles, storytelling and the Heavy Or Not podcast.

Together, this diverse team represents a rich ecosystem of youth development, coaching innovation, digital storytelling, and civic engagement. Their combined expertise ensures the Coaching Wizard is bold in design, grounded in community, and scalable for lasting impact.

When will you do it? What Identify an estimated timeline for project implementation.

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The project will begin in July 2026, following grant notification and planning. Activities will span 12 months, moving through clear phases of onboarding, experimentation, reflection, storytelling, and evaluation. This timeline is built to align with seasonal rhythms—summer's energy, the school year's structure, and end-of-year reflection.

Phase 1: Onboarding & Co-Design (July–September 2026)
This launch phase coincides with summer aquatics programming, maximizing access to outdoor pools, flexible schedules, and daylight hours ideal for lifeguard and coach training.

• Finalize agreements with pools, PPS, Citiparks, and WPIAL pilot sites

• Recruit participants, mentors, guardians, and peer leaders

• Host co-design workshops with youth and adult volunteers to shape Wizard prompts and UX

• Onboard partners to CrewLAB and the Coaching Wizard AI platform

• Distribute access to ISCA’s Global Library of coaching/SEL resources

• Launch early training modules for novice coaches and peer mentors

• Capture initial stories and reflections for media prep

Phase 2: Launch & Experimentation (October 2026–February 2027)
During the school year, the focus shifts to structure and consistency—testing how the Wizard functions in real-life routines.

• Deploy the Coaching Wizard to 10+ pilot sites

• Youth begin journaling at practice; mentors review and respond

• CrewLAB used for calendar syncing, team updates, and wellness tracking

• Arsenal Middle School students begin peer instruction with reflection prompts

• Collect ongoing mentor feedback and youth audio clips to guide iteration

Phase 3: Storytelling & Iteration (March–April 2027)

• Review early data and reflections with youth and site leads

• Share youth stories via Swimming World Magazine and Heavy Or Not podcast

• Refine Wizard tone and delivery with student co-editors

• Identify emerging best practices for scaling and sustainability

Phase 4: Evaluation & Sharing (May–June 2027)

• Conduct cross-site evaluation focused on leadership, emotional growth, and team culture

• Publish a case study to share with OST networks and aquatic education communities

• Present findings at regional learning and coaching design gatherings

This phased approach helps us not just deploy tools, but build a replicable culture of reflection, youth leadership, and cross-sector collaboration. Pools become testbeds for civic learning, equity, and team-based transformation.

What are your first steps? What initial opportunities and actions might you leverage to bring your idea to life?

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This project can launch quickly due to existing relationships, tools, and program infrastructure. We will begin by activating partnerships, onboarding sites, and customizing the AI tools for community use—centered on equity, reflection, and youth agency.

1. Confirm Site Commitments We will immediately confirm participation from pools, schools, and program sites, with BGC helping to broker access and coordinate with local leaders, educators, and youth-serving organizations—especially PPS Arsenal.

2. Assemble the Implementation Team Key contributors from ISCA, CrewLAB, Swimming World, Train Your Brain VR, and U CAN Swim will convene for a project kickoff. Roles, timelines, and deliverables will be aligned across tech, training, and storytelling. The vision will also be documented in podcast form.

3. Customize the AI Coaching Wizard We’ll work with Swim Influx, CloseBot, and Go High Level to configure the Wizard for community settings. Dr. John Hogg will help ensure that prompt tone, content, and safety protocols support youth voice, empathy, and developmental growth. All content will align with trauma-informed and SEL practices.

4. Co-Design Workshops with Youth Local youth will help shape how the Wizard looks, sounds, and functions. This ensures trust, relevance, and accessibility across cultures and literacy levels—especially for first-time swimmers and emerging leaders.

5. Train the Trainers Adult volunteers, novice coaches, lifeguards, and student leaders (MS/HS) will be trained in how to use the Coaching Wizard. Sessions emphasize safe emotional practice, reflective habits, and non-hierarchical, strength-based feedback.

6. Prepare the Communication Backbone CrewLAB’s mobile app will be deployed to streamline communication, team calendars, and wellness journaling. This builds consistency across sites and provides transparent coordination among youth, mentors, and families.

7. Secure Media Channels Swimming World Magazine and the Heavy Or Not podcast will begin collecting early reflections and youth stories for national visibility. Media coaching will support youth in sharing authentic narratives about learning, growth, and leadership.

These early actions set the stage for a place-based, equity-centered experiment that values process over perfection. With local trust and national expertise, we’re ready to build an inclusive coaching model others can replicate.

Annual Project Cost

How much will this cost in total for one year? Please include any additional funds you will use to implement your idea.

The total cost for this one-year project is $92,000, with $50,000 requested from Remake Learning.

The remaining funds—$42,000 in in-kind contributions and partner support—will come from participating organizations and collaborators, including ISCA, Swimming World Magazine, U CAN Swim, CrewLAB, and other aquatic partners. These contributions include donated time, technical resources, software access, media production, and volunteer coaching hours.

Projected costs:

• AI development and support services (Swim Influx, CloseBot, Extendly, Go High Level): $15,000

• Curriculum and prompt design: $8,000

• CrewLAB mobile platform access: $7,500

• Youth stipends and peer coaching support (Arsenal students): $6,500

• Training and onboarding (mentors, youth coaches): $6,000

• Community storytelling and media distribution: $9,000

• Evaluation and documentation: $10,000

• Project coordination and management: $15,000

• Miscellaneous (equipment, materials, travel, etc.): $5,000

The Moonshot grant will directly fund the experimental design, youth and mentor engagement, and storytelling infrastructure that make this a replicable, civic-centered innovation. Additional partner support extends its reach, sustainability, and impact.

Shift 1, 2 & 3

Name this shift. (Examples: learners provided more opportunities to explore topics of interest; technology leveraged to provide learning opportunities outside of the classroom; greater flexibility between in and out of school learning)  What would this shift look like in practice within your organization?

What would this shift look like in practice within your organization?

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Shift 1 = Coaching as Reflection, Not Just Direction

Youth won’t just receive instruction—they’ll become reflective leaders. Practices will include AI-guided prompts, voice journaling, and peer discussions that center emotional awareness, personal growth, and civic identity. Coaches—many of them teens or community volunteers—will be trained to guide reflection as part of every practice. This shift moves from transactional drills to transformational dialogue. Pools become places where belonging, empathy, and decision-making are nurtured alongside athletic development.

Shift 2 = Youth as Teachers and Mentors

Middle school students trained through the Coaching Wizard will serve as junior instructors for younger children in their neighborhoods. Instead of learning in top-down structures, youth will co-lead lessons, mentor peers, and reflect on their own growth in the process. Adults and teens alike will share coaching roles, guided by AI tools that scaffold leadership, empathy, and emotional intelligence. This shift fosters intergenerational connection and civic identity, proving that learners can lead when given the right supports.

Shift 3 = Tech as a Tool for Connection, Not Control

The Coaching Wizard and CrewLAB mobile tools will extend learning into pools, recreation centers, and homes—places often disconnected from traditional school systems. Youth will use voice journaling, wellness check-ins, and team messaging not for surveillance or grading, but to build reflection habits, emotional insight, and strong team culture. Technology will be leveraged to democratize coaching, support novice mentors, and amplify youth voice—especially for those in under-resourced communities. This shift reframes digital tools as vehicles for equity, care, and belonging.

Who will have access to that which you are proposing? 

You may answer only those that are applicable, but please respond pertaining to your specific request.

Populations Served – Budget Justification & Impact Overview

This initiative leverages a $50,000 investment to serve more than 760 direct participants and additional indirect audiences through structured engagement, AI tools, training, and communication systems. Below is a breakdown of how specific groups are supported and how project resources relate to their inclusion.

Classroom Teachers (80)

Teachers at participating schools (e.g., PPS Arsenal) will receive access to ISCA’s LMS, mental skills curriculum, and opportunities to align classroom content with poolside learning. Everyone needs water safety lessons as drowning is the second leading cause of accidental death for children. Budget relevance: funds support digital access, licensing, and alignment meetings with teacher partners.

Teaching Artists (25)

Artists—including videographers, photographers, and editors—will contribute to youth storytelling, reflection capture, and public dissemination. Budget relevance: honoraria, media editing costs, and equipment sharing for storytelling production. Some college swimmers (with Edu aims) can help with remote short-term tasks.

OST Providers (6)

After-school swim programs and community sites will use CrewLAB and Coaching Wizard tools to scaffold coaching and reflection. Budget relevance: training sessions, platform onboarding, and site coordination resources.

Mentors (20)

Adult volunteers, junior coaches, and peer mentors will be trained and supported through Coaching Wizard prompts and CrewLAB coordination. Budget relevance: coaching toolkits, leadership training, and communication platform access.

Students Grades Pre-K–5 (200)

These young swimmers will benefit from structured swim lessons and mentoring. Budget relevance: pool access, instructor stipends, and co-design of prompts tailored for early learners.

Students Grades 6–8 (200)

Middle school youth will lead peer instruction and reflection routines using the Coaching Wizard. MS students have always been the most eager to sign-up for swim activities. Budget relevance: training materials, reflection journals, and rewards for civic leadership participation.

Students Grades 9–12 (20)

High school students will engage in job training (lifeguarding, swim instruction) and personal growth through AI journaling. Budget relevance: access to certifications, training supports, and mentorship scaffolding.

Learners aged 18+ (15)

College-aged swim mentors and early-career coaches will receive structured PD support through LMS and Wizard use. Budget relevance: LMS licenses, stipends or mileage for participation, and tech platform access.

Paraprofessionals (2)

These educational support staff will engage in cross-setting alignment (school + pool). Budget relevance: minimal, mainly inclusion in training and LMS access.

Student Teachers (3)

Education or PE student-teachers will gain coaching experience via structured mentorship pathways. Budget relevance: inclusion in training series and digital library resources.

Parents and Caregivers (60 in-person + 90 digital)

All Guardians / Parents will engage via CrewLAB’s wellness tools and less than half would be interested in assisting with school-pool events. Budget relevance: translation support, parent onboarding materials, and family engagement sessions.

Summary Budget Link

This distribution reflects efficient, tech-enabled scaling: the Coaching Wizard and CrewLAB platforms allow personalized engagement at low per-user cost. The $50,000 grant funds primarily support training, platform licensing, storytelling, and site implementation—maximizing community impact and inclusion while building a scalable model for civic coaching.

Counties/Regions Served:

• PA: Allegheny (BGC focus / flagship); potential expansion sites in Beaver, Butler, and Washington counties via WPIAL and ISCA partnerships.

• WV: Not targeted at launch, but WV counties could be added in future iterations with ISCA support.

Supporting Links

Podcast episode #85 covered the 2026 Moonshot application to Remake Learning. (audio only)

Episode #85 covered the 2026 Moonshot application to Remake Learning. (video and audio from YouTube)