Worlds of Hello

The Worlds of Hello project was created to address the critical gaps in speech and language learning resources for young children—particularly those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds who often face barriers to receiving effective and culturally relevant support. With a unique blend of AI-driven speech recognition, natural language processing, and personalized learning paths, the platform adapts to children’s individual speech patterns, accents, and dialects, creating a more inclusive and engaging learning experience.

This work has been strengthened by a National Science Foundation (NSF) SBIR Phase I grant, which supported the development of an initial prototype, user testing with parents, educators, and speech-language pathologists, and technical refinement to address bias in speech recognition models. Participation in the 2025 MITRE RISE Accelerator further accelerated growth, providing targeted mentorship, industry insights, and strategic guidance to help transform Worlds of Hello into a more accessible and meaningful product for children worldwide. Through RISE, the team refined its commercialization strategy, expanded its network of partners, and incorporated best practices for designing safe, equitable, and scalable educational technologies.

By incorporating voices from family members, culturally relevant vocabulary, and speech-therapist–modeled interventions, Worlds of Hello goes beyond conventional AI assistants, offering children an experience that feels personal, familiar, and affirming. Features such as word tracking, progress monitoring, and tailored recommendations empower parents to actively participate in their child’s language journey, whether at home, in classrooms, or in therapy sessions.

Grounded in extensive research on AI bias, early childhood education, and inclusive pedagogy, Worlds of Hello aims to redefine how speech and language tools are designed and delivered—ensuring that every child, regardless of background, can be heard, understood, and supported in their learning.