K-12 Connect, a tutoring service developed within Grand Valley State University’s GV NextEd Co-Lab incubator, has announced that it is spinning out from the University to become a freestanding non-profit. The new 501c3 organization will rebrand as EQPD (pronounced “equipped”) and expand its high-impact tutoring, tailored professional development, and community-service program management to schools nationwide.  

“Our new chapter as EQPD is fueled by a national need for high-quality, individualized supports for student growth and well-being,” said Amirah Vosburgh, CEO of EQPD. “Grand Valley State University has nurtured us since our launch in 2020. As a NextEd Co-Lab alumnus project we look forward to serving as a continued resource to the University, even as we expand nationally to provide schools, colleges, and families with the services they need to succeed.” 

EQPD will support students and schools through its three pillars of service: 

• EQPD K-12 Connect works with K-12 schools to provide virtual and in-person high-impact tutoring. EQPD currently serves districts across Michigan and around the country.
• EQPD to Grow works directly with families to provide tutoring and mentoring to their children. EQPD is currently an approved ESA provider in Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, New Hampshire and Virginia and is awaiting approval in other states.
• EQPD Next works with colleges and universities to place and manage their Federal Work-Study students that expand the teacher talent pipeline and strengthen the quality of academic and other supports available to students.

“Our work started during the COVID-19 pandemic to help combat learning loss in a time when students from across the country were facing the most challenging experience of their educational journey,” Vosburgh continued. “The need for high-impact tutoring continues to grow, and we are well-equipped to meet the increased demand and expand our efforts to better serve more students, families and schools.”

The results achieved by students receiving high-impact tutoring services from K-12 Connect have been notable. In just one 12-week cycle, sixty percent of students who were not reading at grade level were able to read at or above grade level, and 90% of first through fourth-grade students improved their words per minute reading average. 

“We have seen incredible progress and a newfound love of learning among those students who have received tutoring services through EQPD,” said Shelly VanVoorst, director at Casman Alternative Academy in Manistee, MI. “We are eager to build on the momentum we have developed with EQPD and look forward to continuing to see our students shine.”

K-12 Connect’s decision to spin out and rebrand aligns with the organization’s strategic goals to enhance its service offerings, expand into new markets, and cement its identity as a leader in high-impact tutoring.

"K-12 Connect has served thousands of students from across the country,” said GV NextED Co-Lab Executive Director Steven Hodas. “As it spins out from GVSU, we look forward to expanding its footprint to make a difference in the lives of more students, so that they have every opportunity to excel academically and realize their full potential.”

While K-12 Connect will be graduating from the NextEd Co-Lab, the organization will remain close partners with the university.  

“The incubation of EQPD within the GV NextEd Co-Lab is a great example of the innovation and public service that takes place at GVSU every day,” said Philomena V. Mantella, Grand Valley State University President. “We look forward to continuing to collaborate with them to allow more students to pursue their dreams.”

To learn more about EQPD, please visit: eqpdlearning.org