jumpAgrade is an online service that makes personalised teaching possible through helping each student to improve, regardless of the starting point or level they are at. jumpAgrade does this by providing targeted academic and wellbeing supports to second level students via its online platform, all with the aim of helping every student to fulfil their potential and level the playing field in education. Founders David Neville and Pádraic Hogan were on the Impact Programme in 2019, and are our current Scale Partners 2020 – 2022.
We chatted with David and Pádraic about their ‘ah ha’ moment, pivoting during the pandemic, and what the future holds.
When did you first start thinking of yourselves as a social entrepreneurs?
We were social entrepreneurs long before we recognised it ourselves! 😅 jumpAgrade started in 2017 as an online tuition service that was widely available as a consumer service to students. Not long after in early 2018, a group of students from a local youth service enquired with us about the possibility of providing ‘grinds’ in the lead-up to exams. It turned out that neither the students nor their families had the financial means to access ‘grinds’. We reached out to Northern Trust, a local corporate in Limerick who kindly provided the funding to support the students. Since then, we have turned our attention to support students specifically from underrepresented groups. It has led to jumpAgrade supporting almost 750 students annually where we work closely with the likes of Trinity College, UCC, and DCU Access Programmes. jumpAgrade is now in the process of transitioning all operations to a not-for-profit model which aligns with our purpose to level the playing field in Irish Education.
How has jumpAgrade pivoted through the course of the pandemic?
While jumpAgrade is a targeted tuition service, it is a combination of our operations, technology, and teachers that enables us to reach our students online. Since the pandemic hit, we saw an opportunity to put our technology in the hands of teachers in every classroom. We have since spun out Nurture which is the technology behind jumpAgrade. Quite simply, Nurture is a research-backed formative assessment & feedback technology. Nurture empowers teachers to close the feedback loop with their students. Since launching in Feb 2021, we have almost 100 schools across Europe using Nurture.
How have you found growing a team from just to two of you to now having multiple employees?
Across both Nurture and jumpAgrade, we now have a team of almost 20 operational staff and an additional 18 part-time teachers. Growing a team is hands down the most fulfilling part of what we do. It has been challenging in so many ways and we are very comfortable to say that we are still figuring it out. Our biggest lesson is to care for each individual. You get back what you give.
What advice would you give to budding social entrepreneurs on their jouney?
Find the right co-founder (don’t go it alone, there are lots of ups and downs). Have a clear vision/purpose, believe in your team, and persevere!
Learn more about jumpAgrade and its services-> jumpagrade.com
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