A Houston-based nonprofit mentorship program that matches underperforming second to fifth graders with college student tutors to provide them targeted support has adapted to the online schooling era, by introducing hybrid learning services in partnership with Texas Region 4 Education Service Center.

iEducate engages student mentors from the nearby University of Houston education program and graduating Alief ISD high school students to work alongside teachers to ensure that every child has the academic support needed to achieve their full potential.

"Before the pandemic closed schools, our vision was to have an in-person system mixing public institutions with our local community," says Arun Gir, CEO of iEducate. "Mentors could provide their math, science, and literacy skills to prove targeted support to students, encouraging teachers to differentiate learning by identifying groups that could benefit the most from our help."

Gir says the coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent school closings have forced iEducate to adapt, just like many other teachers and educators. For the first time, they are offering a needs assessment to any school that is interested in working with them.

"We are building on our unique range of educational support services that we have provided over the past to help schools advance student learning in these uncertain times," says Gir.

With their recently announced partnership with the Texas Region 4 Education Service Center, they will be able to train mentors on instructional tools and strategies to support any type of instruction including in-person, remote, and hybrid instruction.

"We are excited to collaborate with iEducate," says Pam Wells, executive director of Region 4 Education Service Center. "Their transformational work confirms the value that iEducate brings along with their ability to adapt and respond to our evolving educational needs."

The nonprofit, which was founded in 2013, started off as a hobby with Gir and volunteers working directly with individual schools, but after a few years, he left his job to work on building iEducate.

"Our focus is definitely on closing that achievement gap," says Gir. "One of our biggest issues is the literacy gap because that's a precursor to any type of student achievement beyond the early years. Personalized instruction focused on getting the portion of the class that is behind has led to growth for the students."

This summer, they conducted a needs assessment and revamped their mentorship program for a virtual classroom's needs, including calling out for more mentors. More than 600 applicants answered the call, ready to support over 7,000 students during the 2020-2021 school year.

"There was an overwhelming need for new types of assistance," says Gir. "From helping parents learn how to use online digital learning platforms to one-on-one tutoring and group tutoring sessions in the evening for students and parents, our mentors are willing and able and they have risen to the challenge."

To learn more about working with iEducate, email contact@iEducateUSA.org.

"We are navigating unexplored waters," says Gir. "We thought about opening up any school in the Houston area because we know that COVID-19 response measures are very decentralized which means we have to go directly to the source."