Step Up Tutoring

What Step Up Tutoring does

Step Up Tutoring is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2020 in Santa Monica, California, that delivers free, one-on-one online tutoring and mentorship to 2nd–6th grade students from underserved communities. The organization pairs trained volunteer tutors and Federal Work-Study college students with AI-powered learning software and a research-backed curriculum in math and reading, operating across Los Angeles, the Bay Area, New York City, Washington D.C., and Arizona through partnerships with more than 40 school districts and charter networks and 25 colleges and universities. Since founding, Step Up has delivered over 300,000 hours of tutoring to more than 8,300 students and trained 5,000+ volunteer and Work-Study tutors, reporting student math performance gains of +22 percentile points (38th to 60th percentile).

The platform integrates two proprietary AI products — Sidekick, a real-time tutoring assistant that provides instructional talk tracks, high-leverage questions, and on-demand curriculum-aligned practice problem generation during live sessions, and Session Briefing, a post-session coaching tool that analyzes tutoring interactions to surface student progress, priority skills, and research-backed coaching recommendations. The platform also incorporates adaptive learning technology, uses Zoom for live sessions, and integrates with Google Classroom and Remind for stakeholder communication. AI development is housed within Step Up Labs (led by co-founder Daniel Halper) and is supported by NewSchools Venture Fund's NextGen AI Math Tutoring Cohort. The organization has co-developed an open-source High-Impact Tutoring Training program — 24 nanocourses of roughly 15 minutes each — with Arizona State University's Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, Annenberg Learner, and Stanford's National Student Support Accelerator.

Step Up Tutoring generates no revenue from student families; all tutoring services are provided free of charge. Operating revenue derives primarily from charitable donations and grants from more than 13 foundations (including the Eli & Edythe Broad Foundation, Karsh Family Foundation, Anthony Pritzker Family Foundation, Annenberg Foundation, and NewSchools Venture Fund), Federal Work-Study program partnerships in which Step Up acts as employer of record for paid college-student tutors, and state/local government grant programs such as Californians for All College Corps and Angeleno Corps. The organization's blended cost model — combining unpaid volunteers, federally subsidized Work-Study labor, and AI-supported instruction — is positioned to deliver personalized tutoring at a fraction of traditional cost while maintaining consistent twice-weekly student-tutor pairing.

Name

Step Up Tutoring

Legal name

Step Up Tutoring

Website

https://stepuptutoring.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Step Up Tutoring is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2020 that provides free, one-on-one online tutoring and mentorship to 2nd–6th grade underserved students, using trained volunteer and Federal Work-Study tutors supported by proprietary AI tools (Sidekick and Session Briefing).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit K-12 Tutoring and Mentorship Services

NAICS

Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

AI-Powered Tutoring & Study Assistant Platforms (EDANAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Adaptive/Personalized Curriculum & Intelligent Courseware (EDAFACAE), Adaptive Learning & Personalized Instruction Software (EDAJAMAE), Integrated Tutoring + Learning Content Platforms (Curriculum + Tutors) (EDANAGAL)

Keywords

• Free online tutoring
• AI tutoring assistant
• K-12 math tutoring
• High-impact tutoring
• Nonprofit education services

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Monica

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants (Primary): As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Step Up Tutoring operates primarily through charitable donations and grants from foundations. Funders include Eli & Edythe Broad Foundation, Karsh Family Foundation, Anthony Pritzker Family Foundation, Annenberg Foundation, Beth and Ravenel Curry Foundation, Joseph Drown Foundation, Dwight Stuart Youth Fund, Fox Family Foundation, Halper Family Foundation, Los Angeles Trial Lawyers' Charities, NewSchools Venture Fund, R&S Kayne Foundation, Rose Hills Foundation, San Jose Public Library Foundation, and Sam Simon Foundation.
2. Federal Work-Study Funding: College students are paid through Federal Work-Study funds, with Step Up serving as the employer of record. Approximately $1.1 billion in Federal Work-Study dollars are granted to over 600,000 college students annually, with institutions required to allocate at least 7% to community service activities. Tutoring in Title I schools is the single largest placement for these roles.
3. Government Grant Programs: Step Up engages tutors through state and local grant programs such as Californians for All College Corps and Angeleno Corps, which provide compensation for tutors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Step Up Tutoring provides free, one-on-one online tutoring and mentorship to 2nd-6th grade students from underserved communities, pairing trained volunteers and Federal Work-Study college students with each student for consistent twice-weekly sessions. Tutors deliver personalized math and reading instruction using adaptive AI-powered learning software and a research-backed curriculum, augmented by two proprietary AI tools—Sidekick (real-time session support) and Session Briefing (post-session coaching)—that improve tutor effectiveness.

Product overview

Step Up Tutoring is a nonprofit platform providing free, one-on-one online tutoring and mentorship to 2nd-6th grade students from underserved communities. The core offering is the Step Up Tutoring Platform, which pairs trained tutors with AI-powered tools. The platform includes two named AI products: Sidekick (real-time session support) and Session Briefing (post-session coaching). A complementary offering is the High-Impact Tutoring Training Program, an open-source nanocourse curriculum developed with ASU and Annenberg Learner. The platform serves students across multiple districts through partnerships with schools and higher education institutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Step Up Labs: Innovation and AI tools division within Step Up Tutoring, led by co-founder Daniel Halper, focused on developing AI-powered tutoring tools like Sidekick and Session Briefing.

Products and services

• High-Impact Tutoring Services Free, one-on-one online tutoring and mentorship for 2nd-6th grade students from underserved communities. Students are paired with consistent tutors for twice-weekly virtual sessions using adaptive, AI-powered learning software and a research-backed curriculum in math and reading. Delivered at no cost to students and families.
• Sidekick (AI Real-Time Tutoring Assistant) An AI-powered real-time tutoring assistant that provides instant talk tracks, high-leverage questions, and skill-progression guidance during live tutoring sessions. It helps tutors explain math concepts clearly, respond to misconceptions, generate curriculum-aligned practice problems on demand, and adjust difficulty in the moment. Tutors remain in full control while Sidekick provides assistance when needed. Built by Step Up Labs.
• Session Briefing (AI Post-Session Coaching) An AI-powered post-session coaching tool that reviews tutoring sessions to analyze tutor questioning, responses to student struggles, and support for student thinking. Delivers focused pre-session summaries including student progress, priority skills, and one research-backed coaching focus for immediate application. Built by Step Up Labs.
• High-Impact Tutoring Training Program Open-source, self-paced tutor-training curriculum co-developed with ASU Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College and Annenberg Learner, consisting of 24 nanocourses (15 minutes each) covering key tutoring practices and specialized instructional strategies for virtual tutoring and math instruction. Available for free via ASU's Community Educator Learning Hub; a micro-credential for tutoring excellence is being piloted.

Quantifiable outcome

• Math performance improved by 22 percentile points (38th to 60th percentile)
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Arizona State University Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College (ASU MLFTC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 April 2024Co-developed the High-Impact Tutoring Training program with 24 nanocourses (15 min each). ASU hosts the training on their Community Educator Learning Hub, making it freely available to tutors.
• Annenberg LearnercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 April 2024Partner in the Tutor Training Initiative, providing funding support for the open-source training program accessible to tutors at no cost.
• Stanford University National Student Support Accelerator (NSSA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 April 2024Collaborated on the High-Impact Tutoring Training program, contributing research-backed practices for tutor development.
• Deans for ImpactsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 April 2024National nonprofit spotlighting Step Up's use of Federal Work-Study to support college students as tutors. Featured in case study on innovative tutoring model.
• Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Primary district partner since founding in 2020. LAUSD is the second-largest district in the nation with over 80% of students qualifying for free/reduced lunch. Partnership enables access to students most in need of tutoring support and coordination with teachers.
• Californians for All College CorpssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerState program providing fellowship opportunities for college students to serve as tutors. Step Up serves as placement partner.
• Angeleno CorpssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal program providing grant funding for tutors. Step Up serves as placement partner for corps members.
• College/University Work-Study PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner25+ colleges providing Federal Work-Study eligible positions for tutors. Includes: Butte Community College, CalArts, Cal Lutheran, Cal Poly Pomona, Cal State East Bay, Cal State Sacramento, Claremont McKenna, Pacific Oaks, Pepperdine, Purdue Global, Rio Hondo, UC Berkeley, UC Riverside, USF, USC, Whittier College.

Scale indicators13 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• TutorDoctor: Global in-person and online 1:1 tutoring franchise with a focus on personalized K-12 academic support. Comparable in delivering individualized K-12 tutoring, though operates as a paid franchise rather than free nonprofit service.
• Tutor.com: Established online 1:1 tutoring service for K-12 and higher ed, with a strong institutional channel including public library partnerships. Comparable in online 1:1 tutoring infrastructure; differs in paid consumer model and adult-learner orientation.
• UPchieve: 501(c)(3) providing free, on-demand 1:1 online tutoring and college counseling to low-income high school students via volunteer tutors. Closest direct peer: nonprofit, free, volunteer-tutor-based, technology-enabled, and serving Title I populations.
• Paper Education: B2B online tutoring platform sold to school districts, providing unlimited 1:1 tutoring in core subjects. Comparable in serving Title I districts with AI-augmented live tutors, but is a for-profit with a paid B2B model rather than Step Up's free consumer/grant model.
• Revolution Prep: Online and in-person 1:1 tutoring and test prep provider for K-12 students, founded by Jake Neuberg who also sits on Step Up's board. Comparable in personalized online tutoring model and K-12 focus; operates as a paid service rather than free nonprofit.

Emerging players

• Schoolhouse.world: Sal Khan-founded nonprofit offering free, peer-to-peer small-group tutoring and SAT prep to high schoolers worldwide. Comparable as a nonprofit, AI-enabled, peer-tutor-driven K-12 tutoring platform serving students regardless of income.
• Khan Academy: Large nonprofit providing free educational content and AI tutoring (Khanmigo) to K-12 students, including underserved populations. Overlaps with Step Up in free, AI-supported K-12 learning for low-income students, though delivery is primarily asynchronous rather than 1:1 human tutoring.

Broad incumbents

• Varsity Tutors: Large commercial online tutoring and instruction platform serving K-12 and higher ed with live tutors and AI tools. Comparable in 1:1 online tutoring for K-12 students, but operates as a paid consumer and institutional product rather than free for families.
• Imagine Learning: Large established K-12 digital curriculum and tutoring provider selling to school districts, including adaptive math and reading programs. Comparable in adaptive K-12 instruction for Title I schools, though delivers at curriculum level rather than live 1:1.

Others

• National Student Support Accelerator (NSSA): Stanford-based initiative advancing high-impact tutoring research and practice, and an active Step Up collaborator. Indirect peer — serves as both a research partner and a sector convener that shapes Step Up's market category.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/stepuptutoringg
• Facebookfacebook.com/stepuptutoringg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/step-up-tutoring

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles22 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Step Up Tutoring