Our platform was designed for easy use! You and your student will meet 1:1 in our virtual classroom where you'll collaborate on a whiteboard or document editor and communicate via the text-based chat or optional voice chat.
For student safety and preference, UPchieve does not use video.
Voice chat
UPchieve offers a live voice chat feature, allowing users to communicate in real-time. Using voice chat is completely optional, and it is possible for just one user to use it as all messages are transcribed in the chat as well.
Watch this video to learn more:
Whiteboard/doc editor
For STEM sessions, you’ll have access to the whiteboard.
For non-STEM sessions, you’ll have access to a document editor
Image Upload
You and the student can also upload images.
Supported formats: JPEG, PNG, GIF (no animation), BMP, and HEIC.
Just click the image upload button in the toolbar to start
Screen sharing
We’re slowly launching screen share to all of users! You’ll know if you have access to it if you see the icon below on the tool bar.
Please note, these demos don’t include new features such as voice chat, screen share and uploading images.
If a student is using a mobile device (since UPchieve has a student mobile app but not a coach app), they won’t be able to use voice chat or screen sharing.
Any personal computer, laptop, or tablet will work just fine with our online tutoring platform.
Since UPchieve doesn’t have a video component, you won’t need a video camera.
Although UPchieve does offer an optional voice chat feature, about 90% of UPchieve’s tutoring sessions are text-only. You don’t need to buy a microphone or speaker to hear the student—voice chat is automatically transcribed in the chat window.
You also don’t need any special equipment like a touch screen or stylus to use the whiteboard; a good, old-fashioned mouse or trackpad will work great!
This is the primary way to pick up requests
When a student requests a session, their name and the subject they need help with will appear on the dashboard. If you're available, simply click on the student’s name or the “Join session” button in the popup to accept.
Yes, you can accept requests outside of the availability you set!
The screenshot below shows an example of what your dashboard will look like when a student requests a session.
How they work:
When no coach is available on the dashboard, UPchieve sends a text to coaches who are marked as available (you set this on the schedule page).
You won’t get a text for every request—we only notify specific coaches, so messages won’t be constant.
Picking up requests via a text:
If you get a text, you can join the session right away from your phone by clicking the link. We recommend greeting the student there, then switching to your computer when possible. You can return to the session anytime on your computer by clicking “Return to chat” in the top right of the dashboard.
You can toggle browser notifications in the profile section to hear a ping when a student needs help!
Currently, only text notifications are available. You can also enable browser notifications to hear a ping when a student needs help
We text multiple volunteers when a student makes a request, and often what happens is that another volunteer either picks up the request before you, or the student ends the session quickly.
UPchieve is an on-demand service, so the number of requests you receive can vary. Here are some tips to increase your chances of working with a student:
Unlock more subjects – The more subjects you can tutor, the more requests you'll receive.
Need ideas for what subjects to certify in next? You can now see all student requests in real time on your dashboard, even for subjects you haven’t unlocked yet. This gives you an idea of what students are asking for help with when you’re typically online.
Click on a locked request (you'll see a 
) to take that subject’s quiz. Pass the quiz and you can start helping more students right away!
Keep the dashboard open – Requests appear in real time, so keeping your dashboard open helps you catch them as they pop up. You can also enable browser notifications to hear a ping when a request comes in.
Sign Up for Texts and add more availability on your UPchieve calendar – This allows you to receive text notifications when students need help.
Look for red 
icons—these indicate the busiest hours!
Each text includes the student’s name, subject, and a link to join. Simply click the link, let the student know you’ll be with them shortly, and switch to your computer to begin.
Note: blocking time on your calendar only enables text notifications during those hours. It doesn’t limit when you can tutor and students can’t see your availability.
There’s typically less competition for sessions from 10pm to 9am ET
Reading this article during the summer?School is out! Students are too! What you can do to make an impact.
With many kids out of school, there are fewer tutoring requests. But don't fret! You can still work with students who need help over the summer by getting certified in more subjects
You can also prep for the new school year by boosting your coaching skills! Check out some of our past workshops and interactive asynchronous trainings. Explore ways to help students overcome learning barriers, maximize engagement, and master effective coaching strategies.
Gain valuable insights and practical tips from experienced educators in our training webinars. Explore topics ranging from communication to boosting engagement and navigating college applications.
Our platform doesn't currently offer scheduling, but here are some ways you can work with a student again:
Agree on a time to log onto the platform so you can pick up the student's request
Send them a direct message through UPchieve (click session history, fin the student's name, click session recap, and type in the chat) when you're online and ready to pick up their session
OR let the student know that they can favorite you so you can be the first to be notified via text (if you are available) the next time they request a session.
If you'd like to receive text notifications when a student needs help, set your availability on the Schedule page. Select your time zone, choose your available time slots, and click save. Your chosen slots will be highlighted in turquoise.
You’re not obligated to tutor every time we text you, but please try to pick times when you can help to help.
You can update your availability anytime.
Scheduled times may not save correctly for users in non-DST time zones. Your time slots may shift back by 1 hour. For example, if you set availability at 11 AM, it might show as 10 AM after saving and refreshing. To work around this, select time slots 1 hour later than your actual availability. If you're available at 1 PM, select 2 PM and save. It should display correctly after refreshing.
Volunteers and students have access to previous sessions. To access them, go to Session History
Please note:
If neither the volunteer nor the student sends at least one message in the chat, the session won’t be saved in session history.
Whiteboard and document edits also won’t appear in session history—only the final version will be shown.
