MIT Students Tutor High Schoolers in Calculus Across US

In a rural Montana school district, just one high school student is taking calculus this year. That could feel isolating, but this student has something most peers at bigger schools don't: weekly one-on-one tutoring from an MIT undergraduate.

It's part of the MIT4America Calculus Project, launched last summer to connect MIT students and alumni with high schoolers across the country who need help mastering this crucial subject. The program now serves 14 school districts from Montana to Texas to New York, with 30 current MIT undergrads and seven alumni volunteering as tutors.

The idea is simple but powerful. MIT students are calculus experts, since the subject is practically required for admission and success at the Institute. Many STEM careers require calculus, yet only half of America's 13,000 school districts even offer it, and those that do often lack resources for adequate support.

"Calculus is a gateway for many students into STEM higher education and careers," says MIT Professor Eric Klopfer, who co-directs the program with education scholar Claudia Urrea. "We can help more students, in more places, fulfill requirements and get into great universities across the country."

The weekly tutoring sessions happen over Zoom and are carefully coordinated with local teachers and administrators. Every MIT tutor completes rigorous training covering teaching methods and how to work effectively with high school students.

The program started with an in-person summer calculus camp in 2025. By next summer, organizers hope to partner with 20 school districts.

The scale varies widely by location. While Montana has its solo calculus student, the program also works with a 5,000-student Texas district where 60 high schoolers take calculus. Five MIT undergrads currently tutor 15 students from that district's schools.

The Ripple Effect

The benefits extend beyond just passing exams. High school students get mentors who show them what their futures in STEM could look like, while MIT students develop communication skills and often reconnect with their home communities.

"For students to be able to see themselves in their tutors is a really cool thing," says program director Shilpa Agrawal.

Teachers report that their students are responding enthusiastically to the MIT tutors. The program emphasizes building connections over time, creating what Urrea calls "a community of support."

The Siegel Family Endowment funded the project after David Siegel, an MIT alum and entrepreneur, asked how the Institute could spread its educational impact beyond campus walls and open doors for students without calculus access.

MIT President Sally Kornbluth says the program "answers those questions in a perfectly MIT way," combining the school's commitment to national service with practical problem-solving.

The program is also developing online tools to supplement the human tutoring, but organizers stress that personal connections remain irreplaceable. For that lone Montana student and dozens of others nationwide, having an MIT mentor in their corner makes all the difference.