INTENDERE

JÓVENES AYUDANDO A NIÑAS Y A NIÑOS INTENDERE

INTENDERE

A platform that automates the complex logistics of online tutoring, scaling personalized educational support to bridge Latin America's achievement gap

Ciudad de México, CDMX, México

MEX

Hybrid of for-profit and nonprofit

Latin America faces a math education crisis that undermines social mobility and economic development. PISA 2022 data reveals the gravity: only 1% of Mexican students achieve advanced math levels (versus 11% OECD average), while 56% fail to reach basic proficiency. This problem extends regionwide, with 75% of Latin American students performing in the lowest two levels. The COVID-19 pandemic worsened this crisis. Mexico's schools closed for 180+ days (highest in OECD), resulting in math learning losses of 0.62-0.82 standard deviations (Hevia, 2022). This affects 29 million students in Mexico alone and creates lasting economic consequences. Without solid math foundations, students struggle to enter higher education and access quality jobs. In Latin America, university attendance remains low at 18%, and in Mexico, over 55.8% of workers are confined to informal jobs (INEGI, 2021). While online educational resources exist, they often require significant teacher effort, strong internet connectivity, or substantial parent involvement—barriers for many low-income families. This math achievement gap is a global challenge affecting over 600 million children worldwide who don't reach minimum proficiency levels (UNESCO, 2023), perpetuating cycles of poverty and limiting economic growth.

Intendere is a platform that automates the complex logistics of large-scale tutoring programs, enabling organizations to deliver free, personalized math education to thousands of students with minimal administrative burden. Our solution prioritizes human interaction, built on research showing that one-on-one tutoring can improve performance by two standard deviations above traditional classroom settings (Bloom, 1984). Unlike pre-recorded classes, our tutors provide "contingent scaffolding"—real-time, responsive support that adapts to each student's understanding (Wood et al., 1976). The platform manages the entire program lifecycle: tutor recruitment, automated training, student assessment, matching, scheduling, and monitoring. A key to our scalability is leveraging mandatory social service requirements—in 8 Latin American countries, university students must complete 480 hours of social service to graduate. University tutors also serve as role models, especially vital for the 40% of our students without college-educated relatives. Research shows having educational role models increases college enrollment by 25-35%. We've proven this model through JANN in Mexico, reaching 24,500+ students and demonstrating a 0.14 standard deviation improvement in math learning after just 8 weeks. https://vimeo.com/1076435010?share=copy

Intendere primarily serves children in public primary and middle schools across Latin America who are struggling with mathematics. Our focus is on students from underserved communities who lack access to quality educational support—over 50% come from the lowest two income quintiles in the case of JANN. These students face multiple barriers: large class sizes limiting personalized attention, insufficient remedial resources, and the digital divide restricting access to online learning tools. Critically, 40% of our students have no family members who attended university, depriving them of academic role models and guidance. By connecting these students with university tutors, we provide not just math instruction but meaningful relationships with academic role models. This human connection is transformative, especially for first-generation students who gain both skills and expanded educational aspirations.Our impact is measurable as mentioned in the previous question. Intendere also benefits university tutors, who gain teaching experience while completing mandatory social service hours. Through engaging with students from different backgrounds, tutors develop communication skills and prosocial attitudes (Rao, 2019) that benefit their own development. By serving both populations, Intendere creates a virtuous cycle of educational improvement and social mobility.