Education Equity with UPchieve - Kate Hoffman

3rd Act

Kate discusses the opportunity gap and her passion for making education equitable. She worked as a teacher in DC and saw first hand some of the challenges as her class was put into lockdown multiple times because of gun violence.

Kate shares about UPcheive whose mission is "Every student deserves the opportunity to attend college and achieve upward mobility" Co-Founded by Aly Murray, whose story of hard work and perseverance overcame systemic poverty through education. She believes everyone should have access to academic support, especially low-income families and students.

Roger feels that UPchieve is the right organization at the right time and feels fortunate to help spread the word about this impactful organization.

The organization's model is unique. Free Tutoring & College Counseling Available 24/7, On-Demand.

You can think of it as the education equivalent of a 24/7 free health clinic. It's not your primary physician, but they are there when you need them. There are about 2,000 students in the program currently. Most students are from low-income families, and many may be the first to attend college in their families. After signing up for the application, they are matched with a tutor in less than four minutes. Students are helped by digging into the concepts to gain understanding and not just finishing their homework.

Students can sign up directly; students who attend a title one high school are eligible or fulfill a low-income student's qualifications.

UPchieve started with math but quickly expanded to cover more subjects.

We talk about the gap for students in the US looking for STEM jobs. There is a huge demand for STEM workers and a low supply. This means STEM jobs have a wage greater than $50k per year more than non STEM jobs. There is a huge underrepresentation of low income and children of color. This is not due to a lack of interest but a lack of equitable access.

Right now, UPchieve has over 2,000 people who volunteer their time to help these students. You don't have to be a teacher or come from an education background. UPchieve will provide you with training and certifications in subjects they wish to tutor.

We talk about the role COVID-19 has played in UPchieve's growth. They were growing and expanding before the pandemic but they have experienced an increased demand with more students requesting tutoring with at-home learning.
You can donate to UPchieve online at UPchieve.org/donate.