HOW DID WE GET HERE?
The road to 500K
From one idea in 2008 to half a million hours of free tutoring. Scroll to play through every level.
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LVL 01 · 2008
The original nerds
Childhood friends Stephen Chen and Neeraj Kapoor start Learn To Be. Free tutoring gets its start.
Photo of Stephen and Neeraj coming soon.
2008 -
LVL 02 · Winter 2008
The first session
A tutor in New York meets a fifth grader in Los Angeles online. Learn To Be holds its first tutoring session.
Winter 2008 -
LVL 03 · Fall 2009
Hello, Hulu!
Learn To Be is one of the first nonprofits to run a public service announcement on Hulu. Our first model, on-demand tutoring, begins.
Fall 2009 -
LVL 04 · Summer 2010
Chapters on campus
University chapters start up around the United States. Each one becomes a hub that recruits new tutors.
Summer 2010 -
LVL 05 · Winter 2010
Into the schools
We partner with 22 after-school programs. One principal sends us a sticky note with student scores before and after tutoring.
Winter 2010 -
LVL 06 · 2020
Showing up
Schools close. Tutors show up online. In 2020, Learn To Be gives 18,629 hours, almost nine times the hours of 2019.
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LVL 07 · June 2021
On the Kelly Clarkson Show
The story of free tutoring for kids who need it most reaches The Kelly Clarkson Show, and Neeraj gets a big surprise.
June 2021 -
LVL 08 · 2019 to 2025
More than 50x growth
From 2,161 hours in 2019 to 112,433 hours in 2025. We grew more than 50 times on a slim budget, with volunteer tutors and a small team.
HOURS PER YEAR
52x -
LVL 09 · 2026
500,000 hours
A new high score: half a million hours of free, one-on-one tutoring for kids who need it most.
NEXT LEVEL
Power the next 500,000 hours
Every gift lights up one of our 500 boxes, whatever the size.