PanProf was founded in June 2020 with the mission to provide free online tutoring to K-12 students in low-income, underserved communities. As an all-volunteer organization, we want to disrupt the status quo in the education system by providing a free, high-quality service that helps our students going where they want to be in school and in life beyond the pandemic. Students are falling behind the
academic requirements of their grade levels because of the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is particularly true with those in underserved communities, children with parents who are essential personnel, and students who are learning English as a second language. After Hurricane Katrina caused students to miss a semester, research showed it took an average of 2 years for those students to catch up to their grade level (Hill, 2020). Schools across the country are in upheaval as they are unable to offer the services students need and parents are often unprepared to fill the gap. PanProf is here to help carry the load and strengthen our communities in these isolating times. As the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the wellbeing of families across the US, we were disheartened to witness the disparities that afflicted young learners, particularly those in low-income communities. A group of UC Berkeley alumni decided to do something to help, and Pandemic Professors was born. The organization started small -- catering to students at a single school in Queens (one of the hardest-hit boroughs of New York City) before swiftly expanding to service over 150 low-income families across the US. What began as a team of volunteer tutors from two colleges in California has grown to include participation from over 30 universities across the country. Educational professionals and pro bono consultants from around the globe also joined our efforts. Thanks to the ongoing dedication from our champion educators and volunteers, we are now able to continuously provide over 250 hours of one-on-one online instruction every week.
