By: AK Infinite
The Integral Factor, a New York City-based education and mentoring company founded in 2021 has made significant strides in its commitment to transformative education. Their mission is twofold: to empower their clients by helping them develop personalized approaches to learning and to promote critical thinking and socioemotional well-being. Their focused tutoring and mentoring sessions equip their clients with both the technical knowledge and emotional intelligence to navigate academic and professional challenges successfully.
The Integral Factor’s core personalized tutoring services are in Math, English, Computer Science, Data Science, and SAT prep and are rapidly expanding. Serving K-12, college, and postgraduate students and professionals looking to retool their skills to advance their careers – The Integral Factor is increasingly becoming the secret to success.
While The Integral Factor has been around informally since 2006, they were officially founded in 2021 in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. School closings created pods of students learning from home, which increased the need for personal tutors. Already existing gaps in personal, professional, and academic growth further widened, and with parents working from home, tutors had to step in. With 15 years of honing their successful approach, The Integral Factor was ready.
Who stepped in to help New York City’s most vulnerable populations? The Integral Factor – with a tutoring and mentoring program unseen anywhere else. Whether students reside in the City’s wealthiest neighborhoods or its shelter system, The Integral Factor provides equally robust support and mentorship in an effort to reduce educational inequities.
Over 40 students have benefitted from the program since its inception, and participation is growing. School teachers report improvement in academic performance as the provision of tablets, laptops, and other aids ensures continuous academic engagement commensurate with their primary school curriculum. Intellectual and fun engagements provide diversions for those in difficult circumstances, resulting in positive behavioral changes. Families have learned critical EQ skills to manage themselves better, both academically and personally. Progress doesn’t stop once families transition out of the program either, as The Integral Factor’s dedicated tutors stay in touch with families to ensure sustained results. The company has even expanded to offer their services through the NYPL system.
With the positive impact brought by The Integral Factor’s programs to the vulnerable populations in New York City and the public, the company is now aiming to keep going post-pandemic and extend its services to help address the asylum-seeker crisis in the city. Such special fundraising is necessary as supporting funds are scarce from private donors, and federal, state, and local funding is for US citizens only. 100% of the proceeds will go towards training, educating, and engaging these vulnerable populations. With just a $1 donation from each of the 8.5 million New York City residents, The Integral Factor believes it can make a meaningful impact on mitigating educational inequity for asylum-seekers and improving the overall quality of life for all New York City residents.
The Integral Factor’s point of differentiation doesn’t lie in their subject repertoire or client base but in something much more fundamental: the relationship.
For child and adult learners alike, The Integral Factor prioritizes building a relationship that examines the whole person to determine how to best support their capabilities, as opposed to solely focusing on their struggles. By adapting to the student’s learning style and strengths, tutors help build self-confidence by teaching students how they learn, allowing them to bring these strategies into their independent study.
This distinctive approach by The Integral Factor is how they stay connected with their clients, even after moving on. This practice ensures ongoing advancement as fostering these connections promotes sustained progress in a mutually beneficial way. When speaking with Kash, it’s clear that the relationship between teachers and students is the underlying force that drives The Integral Factor. They don’t prioritize just completing the task at hand; rather, they focus on the holistic picture of “how can we make an impact?” overall.
Its founder, Prakash (Kash), was born in Canada and raised in the United States. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics and Physics at Cornell University in 2006 and obtained his Ph.D. in Mathematics from Duke in 2011. Kash’s journey from academia to the industry identified gaps in personalized guidance, technical training, and professional development to ensure success across the quantitative sciences. This understanding and his experience as an effective leader, teacher, and mentor are the tools he now uses to lead the company.
“Our personalized approach goes beyond traditional tutoring. We foster emotional intelligence through a holistic approach. This, coupled with a proven track record in positively impacting vulnerable populations in New York City unseen anywhere else, is what sets us apart,” says Kash.
Join The Integral Factor’s mission to make a lasting difference in the lives of those who need it most. For more information, you can visit their website.
