When people talk about equity in education, they usually stop at affordability. That matters. But it’s not the whole story.

Equity means making sure every student can actually access the learning—not just log in. That includes language that makes sense to them. It means pacing that works whether you’re racing ahead or figuring it out slowly. It means material that’s friendly to students who learn better through video, or diagrams, or step-by-step problems with room to pause.

It also means including stories and contexts that students recognize. Cultural relevance isn’t a “nice to have”—it’s often what helps students believe the subject is for them.

We’ve seen this up close at Pebble. When we translated our core tools into Spanish, more students participated. When we added captions, retention went up. When we introduced choose-your-own-path projects, engagement spiked. And when we worked with students to co-design lessons, they didn’t just learn more—they shared the materials with friends.

There’s no single formula for equity. But the starting point is simple: make room for difference. The best classrooms and programs aren’t just open—they’re flexible. They shift to fit the learner, not the other way around.

That’s what we’re building toward.

— Arnav Bonigala