Closing equity gaps with quality education support

The pandemic has highlighted the ongoing inequalities that have existed in America for decades. The Achievement Gap is being widened with school closures. Low-income students of color are among the hardest hit, resulting in long-term economic costs for local and national communities.

The families of disadvantaged students suffer higher rates of infection and they often have parents who are essential workers and thus unable to work from home. Furthermore, children in poverty and children of color often have less access to remote learning, lower quality remote instruction, less conducive learning environments, less home support, and lower engagement. Their families simply cannot afford to give constant parental academic supervision nor pay for outside academic assistance. These disproportionate learning losses for low-income students of color are compounding existing achievement gaps, leading many students to drop out. 

The achievement gaps certainly raise moral questions for a society committed to the ideal of equity. But they also impose concrete economic costs. Research has shown that a widened Achievement Gap can result in:

• More uneducated individuals who will be less likely to increase their own knowledge and less likely to provide their future families with high-quality educational opportunities, continuing the cycle
• More citizens earning less income, leading to poverty with poorer health
• More crime and higher rates of incarceration
• A less skilled and less productive future workforce
• Less money spent by these individuals on taxes, products, and services

Strengthening the educational achievement of our youth will provide economic, social, and emotional stability for the youth served, their families, and their community. Race and income are not destiny; large steps forward are possible. Quality education for all results in a more equitable society where individuals can improve their socio-economic situation on a basis of merit.

It is urgent that we intervene immediately to support the most vulnerable students. As state and local government budgets are being cut, school systems are struggling to do this alone.

This nonprofit allows individuals and organizations to donate tax-deductible funds to sponsor students who have been nominated because of their dedication, achievement, and desire to learn. Their donations will provide the selected students with a semester of instruction from our high-quality tutors who will focus on assisting the students with academics and test prep, while also teaching them the underlying learning and life skills so that the students can excel in all classes, in college, in their careers, and beyond. These include essential “soft skills” such as planning and prioritizing, time management, focus, creative problem solving, curiosity, innovation, advocacy, collaboration, and emotional intelligence.

By providing our youth with the tools to grow into successful contributing members of society, we are making the monumental changes our world so desperately needs.

Our Founder and instructors know that in order to thrive in our rapidly evolving world, students must not only possess strong skills in areas such as language arts, mathematics, and science, but they must also be adept at skills such as curiosity, critical thinking, problem-solving, advocacy, and collaboration. 

Our Founder, Lindsey Wander, has the following experience and expertise:

• B.S. in Biology, B.A. in Chemistry, Minor in Mathematics, Secondary Teaching Credentials in CA and IL
• Traveled to more than 25 countries and 35 American states
• Consistently teaching since 2005: Environmental Educator, Private Tutor, Classroom Teacher, and College Professor
• STEM teacher to underprivileged middle school students from 2007-2011
• Began tutoring full time in 2011
• Formal training in: gang intervention, teaching culturally diverse students, Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Executive Functioning, Auditory and Visual Processing Difficulties, ESL, high school and college entrance exams, college essays and applications
• Officially founded WorldWise Tutoring LLC in 2015, which provides tutoring for students of all ages and all abilities in all subjects
• Personally worked with thousands of children ages 0-18 from various backgrounds, with diverse abilities, in a wide range of subjects

Our 50+ Instructors have:

• Diverse racial backgrounds, including: Asian, Black, Latinx, Indigenous, White, and Multiracial
• Bachelor’s, Master’s, and/or PhD’s in genres ranging from Education to Biomedical Engineering from universities such as IIT, UIC, Northwestern, University of Houston, University of Texas, and Georgetown
• Years of relevant experience teaching students 1-on-1, in small groups, and.or in classrooms
• Been thoroughly background checked
• Been trained by Lindsey Wander in best tutoring practices, including how to incorporate into their instruction lessons on metacognition, executive functions, and interpersonal skills
• Been trained by Lindsey Wander in best practices when working with culturally diverse and disadvantaged youth
• Experience with documenting detailed lesson notes which are sent to the students and their families after each session

Prior to starting our program, all students complete:

• A grade level appropriate online quiz to assess their current levels of mastery in the core subjects of Math and ELA
• An online survey in English or Spanish to determine their present capacity for soft skills such as time management and leadership (parents/guardians assist K-6 students with completion)

Prior to their child starting our program, all parents/guardians complete:

• An online survey in English or Spanish to detail their satisfaction with their child’s current progress

Throughout the course of the program, tutors will regularly provide the students and their parents/guardians with feedback regarding the students’ progress.

Upon completion of each term of their program, these students complete a post-assessment to quantify their improvement and an exit-survey to qualify their growth. Their parents/guardians also complete an exit-survey to qualify their satisfaction with the program.

Approximately six months after the completion of the program, the students and their parents/guardians complete a review to assess how the students are progressing.

Educate. Radiate. Elevate. was incorporated in Illinois on 11/16/20 and received federal 501(c)3 status on 2/26/21. Several grant applications are in progress and we are asking for donations from private donors. With the limited funding we have received so far, we have begun tutoring some students. The results are currently being collected and analyzed.

In the meantime, learn about the Founder’s success with her other business, WorldWise Tutoring, for projected accomplishments with Educate. Radiate. Elevate.