Learn To Be is a U.S. non-profit organization that recruits volunteers to offer free online tutoring to students in underserved communities.
In February 2011, the Learn To Be Foundation was featured on Philanthroper.com,My School District Is the Internet , Philanthroper, February 11, 2011, accessed March 7, 2011. a website that features a different non-profit every day to encourage philanthropy as a daily habit. By this time, Learn To Be has already offered 4000 hours of tutoring to more than 5000 students.
Service Learn To Be provides tutoring through a customized online classroom environment that has been open-sourced by BigBlueButton. Similar services include Tutor.com, which provides free tutoring to military families, and TutorChatLive,The Team , TutorChatLive.org, accessed March 7, 2011. a non-profit founded by students from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
The tutors apply via an online form on the Foundation's website, and after a certification process and background check, are allowed to enter the community to pick up sessions. The Foundation and its University Chapters approach low-performing schools and schools in generally underserved areas, where students can gain access to the Learn To Be tutoring platform at a school computer lab or on a library computer. Students can request sessions in math, sciences, and language arts between 9am and 9pm, Pacific Time.Frequently Asked Questions , Learn To Be, accessed March 7, 2011. The service is completely free and is supported by the Foundation which operates solely on donations from the community.
In addition, online tutoring providers like Learn To Be assist homeschooled children with their academics. For example, Learn To Be is featured as a free homeschooling resource by Galileo Education, an academic support service run by Christa Novelli.Free homeschooling resources , Galileo Education, accessed March 7, 2011.
Chapters
UCLA Students at the University of California, Los Angeles established the first University Chapter of Learn To Be. They are currently officially registered with the University.Student Groups - Learn To Be , accessed March 7, 2011.UCLA Student Organizations - Learn To Be , accessed March 7, 2011.
UT Austin Learn To Be is an officially registered student organization at The University of Texas at Austin.Student Organization Database - Learn To Be, Student Activities and Leadership Development, November 2010, accessed March 7, 2011. The organization is advised by Dr. Prabhudev Konana,University Chapter Steering Committee , Learn To Be at Texas, accessed March 7, 2011. a professor in the Department of Information, Risk, and Operations Management at the McCombs School of Business.Faculty Profile - Prabhudev Konana, UT Austin Office of Public Affairs, accessed March 7, 2011.
UT Dallas Derek Chui, 19, a Collegium V Honors student, established a chapter at UT Dallas.Tutor of the Month - January 2011 , accessed March 7, 2011. The chapter works with the McKinney Independent School District and Plano Independent School District, tutoring on-site and online.
Syracuse University The Learn To Be Chapter at Syracuse University works with Say Yes to Education in the local Syracuse school districts to provide free tutoring to underprivileged students.Inside SU - Interested in volunteer tutoring at your convenience? , SU News Service, February 22, 2011, accessed March 7, 2011. Michael Hu, the Renee Crown Honors student at Syracuse who founded the chapter, was featured in the Honors Messenger Newsletter.Civic Engagement Opportunity: The Learn To Be Foundation , The Messenger, January 19, 2011, accessed March 7, 2011.
Cornell University As of March 2011, students Stephen Lane and Odis Ponce are starting a chapter at Cornell University. They are participating in Online Leadership Exchanges with leaders from the Foundation and other University Chapters.Videoconference recording - Online Leadership Exchange, Elluminate Live!, March 5, 2011, accessed March 7, 2011.
University of California, San Diego (UCSD) Seung Jin Lee and a group of undergraduate students officially registered and established a chapter at UCSD in the fall of 2011. The organization currently volunteers on-site for underprivileged children.
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor Wolverine Tutors, an existing organization dedicated to providing online tutoring and mentoring for at-risk high school students, registered as a chapter of Learn to Be in 2012.
Vassar College Evan Seker, 19, created and registered a chapter in the Spring of 2025. The organization is currently overseen by faculty researcher Dr. Lori Newman, and is seeking new members.
Partnerships Local food establishments in Anaheim sponsored Learn To Be's first benefit dinner in August 2009.Learn To Be Foundation holds first benefit dinner , The Orange County Register, August 17, 2009, accessed March 7, 2011 Hulu.com also broadcasts a commercial for Learn To Be.Learntobe.org commercial for Hulu.com, YouTube, accessed March 7, 2011.
In 2023, Learn To Be partnered with Representative Alexandria Ocasio Cortez and hosted in-person events to sign children up for the free online tutoring and receive free school supplies.
Fundraising In December 2009, supporters tried to garner votes for Learn To Be in the Chase Community Giving program.Support The Learn To Be Foundation in the Chase Giving Program, My Life by Jomo, December 11, 2009, accessed March 7, 2011. In June 2010, The Orange County Register reported that nearly 100 people participated in a walk/run event that raised more than $3,000 for the Learn To Be Foundation. Learn To Be Foundation holds 5K Run/Walk , The Orange County Register, June 14, 2010, accessed March 7, 2011.Runners take off Sunday at the Learn To Be Foundation's 5K Run/Walk, which took place at Yorba Regional Park, The Orange County Register, June 14, 2010, accessed March 7, 2011. On June 17, 2025, the Learn to Be Foundation officially rolled out a feature to allow volunteer tutors associated with the organization to create their own fundraisers for the funding of the Foundation's tutoring sessions. Help Fundraise Education with Learn to Be, Learn to Be, June 17, 2025, accessed July 15, 2025. References