• JUMP Math is a school programme for the teaching and learning of mathematics developed in Canada, which has been used for over 10 years with spectacular results.

• After two years piloting the implementation of JUMP Math in more than 90 public schools, with support from organisations such as the Fundación Telefónica, the programme is now being launched in Spain in Spanish, Catalan and English.

• The first UpSocial spin-off, dedicated to educational improvement through the implementation of proven innovations like JUMP Math, has closed a successful round of investment led by Creas, with the participation of members of the Ship2B and Creas community of investors, who are committed to educational innovation.

A group of 10 social investors took part in a funding round led by Creas, in which members of both the Ship2B and Creas investment communities participated. This funding ensures the translation and adaptation of the materials of the JUMP Math programme, allowing it to be extended throughout Spain. 

JUMP Math is a programme for teaching and learning mathematics in schools that manages to get the best performance out of both students (as it shows everyone can succeed and master the concepts) and teachers of the subject. The model has been scientifically assessed by prestigious universities and its creator, John Mighton, has received numerous international awards.

So far, 95 schools and over 4,000 students have used JUMP Math in five autonomous regions. Additionally, more than 170 teachers have been given training. The aim now is to extend its application and get more students and teachers to understand, master and enjoy mathematics.

A successful model brought to scale

The implementation of this Canadian model in Spain is being led by UpSocial, an organisation that promotes social innovation to solve social problems through a spin-off dedicated to the implementation of educational innovations. John Mighton, founder of JUMP Math, said: "I am very excited about the fact that JUMP Math is being scaled up in Spain and that possibilities are opening up in other countries. It is a great opportunity for the programme and I am sure that UpSocial have the right team for this to happen."

With this venture that successfully scales up a proven model, UpSocial participated in the first edition of the B-Ready programme, a Fundación Ship2B programme for accelerating and financing start-ups with a high social impact. 

The Creas Desarrolla investment fund is the first independent instrument for social investment in Spain to support entrepreneurial projects that integrate objectives with a social and environmental impact with an economically sustainable and operational business model. The funding obtained through this round allows for the translation and adaptation of the programme materials – covering nine years from primary school to the second year of secondary school – and also for its marketing throughout the country.

Progress thanks to the support of various organisations

After a first test application in nine public schools in Barcelona in collaboration with the Consorcio de Educación de Barcelona, the project continued to attract support.

The Education Challenge of the Fundación Telefónica selected JUMP Math among the four best educational innovations in the world and made it possible (with the collaboration of the Fundación "la Caixa") for the pilot to be extended to more than 80 schools in four Spanish regions: Castilla-La Mancha, Galicia, Madrid and Murcia. For its part, the Fundació Collserola collaborated in the translation and adaptation of materials, and also implements the programme, inspiring other centres to follow suit. In this regard, we thank all the schools that have joined in the use of JUMP Math to achieve educational improvement.

The results of the pilot tests in Spain have been evaluated by the CRECIM (Research Centre for Science and Mathematics Education) of the Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, confirming the same results of the rigorous evaluations conducted in Canada: major improvements are observed in the mastery and understanding of mathematics in those schools that implement JUMP Math.

The key to the success of JUMP Math is its method of guided discovery, with participatory dynamics, continuous assessment and lessons divided in small units easily understood by all students in the class. In this way, it manages to get students to lose their fear of maths and improve their self-esteem, and helps more than 90% of the class to improve their academic performance significantly.