EducationEquity Foundation

informal genesis

In the mid-2000’s, though trained as an engineer, Dan Jetter worked as a Science teacher in NYC public high schools, where most of his students were low-income “minorities”. From this experience emerged the motivating concept behind EEF: Academically leveraging students’ grit.

In early attempts before EEF even had a name, Dan would provide free STEM tutoring to a few hard-studying low-income “minority” students in HS & college. As a result, these students would improve their grades in their STEM courses. However, for many reasons - from Dan’s spotty assessment of student motivation to the wide variation of course structures - these early attempts were inefficient and inconsistently effective.

For the next 14 years, Dan worked as a professional tutor of STEM, polishing his in-person tutoring skills. Then COVID hit.

focused by the pandemic

No longer was in-person tutoring possible. Moreover,

• The pandemic highlighted that distrust caused by the inequities in the US medical system has dire Public Health consequences. Having more US physicians who reflect the US demography would address this distrust.

• The MCAT, an academic barrier to entry into the US medical system,

  • Perpetuates the US education system’s inequities.

  • Is standardized, s o EEF could tutor standardized MCAT Prep. Thus, the wide variation in STEM course structure would no longer plague EEF. Nor would Dan’s spotty assessment of student motivation - premeds are almost always super-motivated!

Hence, EEF’s post-pandemic focus is providing free MCAT Prep to low-income (LI) underrepresented (UR) premeds.

• LI UR premeds were often underserved in the schools they attended before college. The consequences of this underservice undercut the Math skills and Math hand-calculation shortcuts necessary on the Chem/Phys section of the MCAT.

• Integrated into EEF’s online MCAT Prep, which EEF provides free to such premeds, are mini-lessons in Math as needed during the guiding of students through their solving of MCAT practice problems.

formal founding and growth

In the summer of 2023, Dan legally established EEF as a 501(c)(3). EEF is no longer just Dan. Joining Dan is now a Board of Trustees, and an ever-enlarging team of PeerTutors.

future possiblities

EEF is now also reaching out to partner with other nonprofit organizations. Perhaps the bridge could be extended someday to pre-college. Perhaps EEF someday could even partner with a financial nonprofit to help address the severe financial barriers to med school. But, of course, today can’t be taken for granted:

Dan sends a heartfelt THANKS to the growing EEF team, the EEF students, and the EEF donors. Together, we all make this possible!

• Volunteer Tutor/Professor (online MCAT Prep to premeds throughout US and online Chemistry to education-starved young women in Afghanistan)

• Professional Tutor (to AP & College students; earned $150K from 2450 hours of tutoring: Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Calculus, and MCAT Prep)

• Trained by Princeton Review to tutor MCAT Prep (specialties: Physics & GenChem)

• SAT/ACT Prep Professional Tutor (2011-2019, via inperson/online hybrid to US & China)

• Grant Advisor (Education Specialty) for The Pollination Project, which awards seed grants internationally to nonprofit projects

• Master's in Science Teaching (Hunter College, 2007)

• Master's in Public Health (Rutgers/UMDNJ, 1998)

• Formerly:

  • Editor / ContentExpert of Physics & Chemistry practice questions @ Blueprint MCAT Prep

  • Developer of AP Physics Exam practice questions @ ETS

  • Biomedical Researcher @ Bronx VA Hospital

  • NYC Public HS Science Teacher