Remote Digital Education Impact K-12

Around the world (and in a COVID world) Indigenous, remote and disadvantaged school-aged youth do not meet minimum education levels as compared with students from metropolitan areas. 

Since 2018 we have been providing a personal online qualified tutor to all our school aged remote students covering whatever discipline they require alongside a donated digital device plus data if required. 

By providing a dedicated tutor over the course of 12 months (or more) we have seen Literacy and Numeracy levels increase, attendance at school improves and our students are completing year 12 in greater numbers.

We currently work throughout Australia and Cambodia via our proprietary platform. 

Our project works with parents, schools, NGO's and charities.

As evidenced by the Governments around the world there are approximately 72 million disadvantaged school-aged youth do not meet minimum education levels or remain unschooled. Inequity in resourcing, qualified support and sheer isolation means this cohort remain below national standards in all areas but in particular literacy and numeracy.

Our award winning program has been proven to provide digital inclusion and equality directly impacting the diverse disadvantage experienced by these children.

By integrating our proprietary technology, we help students access  Interventional online tutoring across the vast land of Australia and in one of the poorest provinces of Cambodia (Prey Veng) 

Our program also donates a digital device (if required) proving to improve student capabilities (by 1-2 years), attend school more often and improve graduation of year 12 students. 

Education is the biggest factor in improving economic, employment and life outcomes for all children and youth and through this challenge we can significantly impact more recipients around the world and prove transformational in their future trajectory.

Since 2018 Need a Tutor has been finding, matching and connecting qualified tutors and teachers from around Australia to remote, disadvantaged and Indigenous children. We then host ongoing, individual live sessions between the two, via our proprietary platform. Need a Tutor also donate preloved computers to our recipients should they not have the digital capacity to be tutored online. 

As the platform was bootstrapped and developed from scratch we have upgraded the technology and capability over time and intend to continue. 

We integrate AI for efficiencies and increasing capacity. our platform allows us to span the geographic divide and expose world class teachers and tutors to children in need.

Our target population falls into a number of categories:

1. Children in remote locations

2. Children Indigenous to their country 

3. Disadvantaged children (low SES, migrants, refugees etc.)

4. Children who have established, diagnosed learning difficulties.

This represents approximately 72 million children / youth around the world.

As many areas around the world have internet provision and many the access to a digital device (laptop or desktop) we can access and connect these children with a suitable tutor and conduct ongoing, regular interventional tutoring.

In Australia (our pilot country) we saw a 300% increase in demand for our tutoring services and digital device donations in 2021. This was as a result of an existing gap in educational standards and in response to school lockdowns as seen with COVID in 2020.

"Increase the engagement of learners in remote, hybrid, and physical environments, including strategies and tools for parental support, peer interaction, and guided independent work".

We engage parents, carers, teachers and charities to select and oversee our program. As they all live in geographically challenged environments, there is chronic under resourcing and unavailability of skilled talent for tutoring. We provide a practical, grassroots strategy to connect and allow access to these children where and when they need. 

We have been successfully tutoring since 2018. During this time, we have provided tutoring to over 175 Indigenous and disadvantaged students, many of whom have completed school with our assistance or are still continuing with us to this day. We have held over 5000 successful sessions.

Our digital device donations commenced in January 2021 in response to the COVID impact last year and we have given over 45 preloved, refurbished devices contributing to a reduction in e-waste and a comittment to the circular economy.

Since 2019 we expanded to Prey Veng, Cambodia, offering our tutoring to at risk girls partnering with a local NGO to identify most in need.

We intend to utilise our current model to intensify and expand our impact.

Enrise addresses these key areas through our individualised interventional tutoring support. Tutoring is not a new concept but has been proven throughout the centuries it has existed. We do know that the further away from the city the less support and resourcing is available. Our online Tutoring has been a particularly successful way to help students 'catch-up' and by integrating new technology enabling us to now reach more children than ever before. Ongoing online tutoring over the course of a school year has been proven to improve student capabilities (by 1-2 years), attend school more often and improve graduation of year 12 students. COVID has seen a huge rise in the need to provide supported services in education due to enforced school closures around the world effectively rendering millions of children unable to learn unless they had access to digital capabilities. Many children simply did not have this access and fell behind significantly. We feel that our exclusive attention on remote and rural children means we can address this inequity through the use of our technology and donated devices alongside accessing and integrating emerging technologies (AI) to provide generational support in under-serviced, vulnerable communities .

We currently provide 75 children ongoing weekly / bi-weekly tutoring. We have held over 5000 sessions since 2018.

We expect to double this number by end of 2021.

Within 5 years we expect to see a 300-400% increase in overall support numbers.

We intend to expand into further SE Asian locations.

We complete thorough evaluations and data through our platform metrics and feedback surveys by our children, communities and carers.

This feedback and evaluation is redirected back to our funders, and potential expansion partners.

2 full time (CEO / Project manager)

45 Tutors - contracted.

Excerpt from Media release:

During a career in corporate learning and development, Bronwyn Covill became interested in social educational support. Having a son with learning difficulties she saw first-hand, the inequity in support for children and the heartbreak and lack of confidence that came from their struggle to learn.  The opportunity to take Need a Tutor down the for-purpose path came when she was approached to provide one-on-one video tutoring to Indigenous, remote and disadvantaged children through schools and community learning centres.

Need a Tutor offers organisations involved with educating children and youth in remote, isolated or disadvantaged circumstances, accessible and secure support from dozens of experienced educators Australia-wide. This interventional tutoring has greatly improved literacy and numeracy levels, school attendance and Year 12 completion rates.  

 With online learning now widespread, and COVID-enforced school shutdowns resulting in a 10-fold demand in tutoring services, Bronwyn believes Need a Tutor has great potential to engage more young learners.

“Technology is playing a huge part in the learning space, giving access and equity like never before. Through our proprietary technology and matching service, we ensure the utmost in safety, security and effectiveness in remote support. This creates a pathway towards tertiary admission, employment and economic security.”

Need a Tutor's profits subsidise Indigenous and rural education in Australia and tutoring at-risk girls in Cambodia.  

Recognition of Bronwyn’s work, including a Pride of Australia Award 2019, winner of the 2020 Optus Future Makers and a Pro Bono News Impact 25 nomination 2021. 

The Need a Tutor team consists of :

2 Female founders

Of the 45 tutors contracted the mix is approximately 50% females and males. Some tutors are qualified teachers and the remainder are experienced tutors.

We actively promote diversity, inclusion and equality within all areas of our program delivery.

• Funding is always an issue to enable operating costs and scalability. At $10,000 prize will enable us to provision more children directly, particularly those on our waitlist.

• Networking and peer support is paramount in expanding personal and organisational expertise.

• Dedicated spaces (in Australia also I hope) will be welcome to our small but agile team. 

• Access mentorship, coaching, and strategic advice from experts, invaluable to a grassroots, small businesses such as Need a Tutor.

• Monitoring and evaluation support to build an impact measurement practice is always a challenge to get this just right. Assistance in this area is always invaluable particularly at our growth stage.

• In order to grow and scale we require exposure. Therefore media and  branding is imperative.

• In-kind resources such as software licenses and legal services from Solve Member and partner organizations is particularly welcome, in particular exposure to emerging technologies to enhance our UX. 

All the areas above are of great assistance to a smaller grassroots organisation who does not have the resources to be exposed to this talent otherwise.

Large global organisations can build capability and help Need a Tutor scale faster and more effectively. We pride ourselves on what we do and assistance, in whatever form, is always greatly accepted.

Shared values are so important and I feel we align with the problem challenge presented buy MIT. 

Global education facilities and charities to help us access and provision those most in need.

Funding from major philanthropic organisations that share the same vision and expect immediate impact.

We would not presume to know the organisations that could provide us achieve our global goals so any potential partnership would always be considered.

Through our pro bono work with Cambodian charity Cambodian Kids Can

https://cambodiankidscan.com/

Need a Tutor works in partnership in-country to givesat-risk girls the chance to change their future and lift themselves, their families and their communities out of poverty.

Since 2005, Cambodian Kids Can has worked to provide at-risk girls from Prey Veng, Cambodia with a safe and nurturing home, Mekhala House, where they are able to complete high school. We then offer continued support as they pursue their dreams at university. We also enable a culture of learning in the community through a local learning centre, Mekhala Learning Centre. Through these programs and Need a Tutor dedicated Tutoring we have the chance to change their futures.