Beneath the fluorescent lights of Westwood’s classrooms, extra academic guidance becomes synonymous with discrepancies in scholastic success.

After encountering learning gaps in their Advanced Precalculus class, James Li ‘25 and Indivara Kolluru ‘25 set out to address these discrepancies and catalyze positive change. The result: Project Potentia, an organization geared towards offering equitable and interactive tutoring to students in the Austin area. High school students volunteer their time to teach classes they excelled in to those seeking affordable access to learning resources: an organization founded for the students, by the students.

“We noticed that many students are pulling ahead [in Precalculus], consistently getting 100s, you know, pretty high scores,” Li said. “They also all went to extracurricular math stuff, like MTY Academy. But unfortunately, most students don’t have an opportunity to go because there [is] a price aspect to it. By not going, [students are] kind of putting [themselves] at a disadvantage. We want everyone to have an opportunity to do well in school.”

Attracting a heavy concentration of Westwood students, MTY Academy offers outside of school math programs at the price of $320 a semester. Virtual, hour-long classes are held weekly, and accompanied by lengthy homework assignments. Despite their rigor, these classes remain highly lucrative to students, as they are usually effective in preparing students for success in high school advanced math, unlike most free, digital alternatives.

“We see there is a gap between the free online learning resources available right now [and direct instruction, like MTY],” Project Potentia Director of Logistics Jonathan Chao ‘25 said. “For example, Khan Academy. They don’t offer interactive, immediate feedback and actual guidance. Coming from high schoolers who actually experienced courses at high school would definitely help these students have a better understanding of [what that] course is going to be like. That’s something that big organizations like Khan Academy can’t do.”

Project Potentia’s virtual courses in STEM subjects such as Algebra 1, Python 1, and Chemistry will begin in late July. A $10 registration fee is required, however, all funds accumulated are donated to the Central Texas Food Bank.

“We want to make sure that the quality of education and the quality of our content is really good so we can make sure each student excels,” Project Potentia Director of Marketing Adam Menezes ‘25 said. “That’s why we spend the heavy emphasis on content development, which is what we’re in the stages as of right now.”

Project Potentia’s lessons align with Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), the standard for Texas high school courses, while also catering to a student’s respective school to offer a more individualized learning experience.

“As we branch off into more AP class specifics, we’ll be focusing on that curriculum as well,” Menezes said. “So it’s really meant to help students excel and succeed in whatever subject matter they would be studying.”

Although its framework allows the organization limitless opportunities for expansion, Project Potentia intends to focus on serving the local Austin community.

“There’s no real limit as much as we grow,” Menezes said. “However, it is good to also think about the purpose of the organization, which is to offer an interactive experience between the student and the teacher. That way the student is receiving important feedback relevant to the class, and that would involve the teacher knowing lots of practical knowledge, so the scope couldn’t be too big. If you streamline it, you kind of lose that interactive aspect.”

The tutoring staff goes back to the basics the moment lessons begin, customizing curricula to cultivate growth.

“We know each student that works with us has a lot of potential. They have this fire that’s yet to be lit inside of them,” Menezes said. “If you’re at Project Potentia, we hope to light that fire and let it burst into flames. Let it grow and grow and have each student really excel in their careers.”

More information can be found at projectpotentia.org