Learning Upgrade was founded in 1998 by teacher-songwriter Shyla Lobo and computer engineer Vinod Lobo with the aim of creating breakthrough, interactive learning programs. A creative team of educators, musicians, artists, and engineers in San Diego, California, came together to develop the ground-breaking online course, Reading Upgrade. Through lessons filled with songs, video, and games, this course gave students with limited English proficiency and special needs a new path to full proficiency.

Over the past 25 years, Learning Upgrade has created over 1,500 lessons covering English, math, job skills, life skills, and test prep. We have expanded to serve 3 million children and adults and deployed programs with partners in over 25 countries. Our lessons have been adapted for smartphones and remote learning and our Learning Management System tracks real-time student learning data.

In 2019, Learning Upgrade became Grand Prize Co-Winners of the $7M Adult Literacy XPRIZE, a 4-year, multi-phase competition focused on tackling the largest obstacles to achieving basic literacy for the 36 million low-literacy adults in the U.S.– access, retention and scale.

Learning Upgrade is still owned and operated by the Lobo family and our mission has remained the same: give every person around the world access to a world-class, life-changing education.