Innovative Program Expands Reach with Grant from Richard King Mellon Foundation
News
The Carnegie Mellon University-based PLUS program, renowned for its innovative human+AI tutoring approach, has received a significant boost. The Richard King Mellon Foundation has awarded PLUS (short for Personalized Learning Squared) a $300,000 grant to accelerate middle school math learning across Southwestern Pennsylvania.
Thanks to the Foundation’s additional support, PLUS will deepen its local impact. Partnerships with area schools will support more than 500 middle school math learners in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties during the upcoming academic year.
“PLUS is more than a program; it’s a commitment to empowering every student,” said Dr. Erin Gatz, PLUS Head of Partnerships. “With the Richard King Mellon Foundation’s generous grant, PLUS is poised to make an even greater impact.”
An early scientific study of the PLUS project demonstrated remarkable results. Low-income middle school math learners in Southwestern Pennsylvania public schools nearly doubled their learning rate compared to a carefully selected control group. This success in bridging opportunity gaps underscores the urgent need to scale the program to serve thousands of students annually.
The PLUS team has harnessed prior support from the Richard King Mellon Foundation to develop the S.M.A.R.T. curriculum (Social emotional learning, Mastering content, Advocacy, Relationships, and Technology tools), equipping college students and other adults—regardless of prior experience—to be effective and empathetic math tutors. By collaborating with partners like Homewood Children’s Village and the University of Pittsburgh’s Center for Urban Education, PLUS ensures its relevance for students struggling with math.
Expanding Engagement
While CMU students have been invaluable tutors, the PLUS team recognizes the need for broader tutor recruitment as it continues to reach more middle school students and grow its school partnerships. To achieve this, PLUS is forging new tutor recruiting partnerships with local colleges and universities, including Duquesne University. The goal is to create a sustainable model that transcends research and becomes a vital service provider. PLUS has an ambitious goal to double math learning for 10,000 middle school students by 2026.
For more information, visit https://www.tutors.plus/
Contact: Dr. Erin Gatz, Head of Partnerships
Email: egatz@andrew.cmu.edu
About PLUS: PLUS is an award-winning, hybrid human-AI tutoring program dedicated to doubling math learning for middle school students. We’re proud to be one of seven global teams chosen for the Learning Engineering Virtual Institute program.
Related People
Erin Gatz
Research Areas
Learning Sciences and Technologies