We’re Irvine high school students helping the ones who come after us.
我们是尔湾的高中生，帮助比我们晚来的同学。
Seven Portola High School students started NextStep in January 2026. We answer school questions, tutor online, write guides and run community events, in English and Chinese, for free.
NextStep 由波托拉高中的七名学生于 2026 年 1 月创办。我们回答校园问题、提供线上辅导、写学习指南、组织社区活动，中英双语，全部免费。
“We were new here once, too.”
“我们也曾经是新来的。”
How NextStep started
NextStep 是怎么开始的
When our founders moved to Irvine for high school, almost everything was new: how classes are chosen, how GPA is counted, which form goes where. Everyone else seemed to know already.
我们的创始人刚搬到尔湾读高中时，几乎什么都是新的：怎么选课、GPA 怎么算、哪个表格交给谁。好像只有自己不知道。
They worked it out by asking upperclassmen, going to club meetings and making a few mistakes along the way. After that, they wanted the next new student to have someone to ask from the first day.
后来他们靠问学长学姐、去社团、也走过一些弯路，才慢慢弄明白。于是他们希望下一位新同学从第一天起就有人可以问。
That became NextStep.
这就是 NextStep 的由来。
Help another student 帮助其他学生What we’ve done so far
到目前为止
The idea
想法萌生
The founders decide to set up a group where new students can get help from older ones.
创始人决定成立一个让新生可以向学长学姐求助的组织。
NextStep starts
NextStep Education 正式成立
Seven Portola High School students form the founding team and start with three things: peer tutoring, volunteer opportunities and answering school questions.
波托拉高中的 7 名学生组成创始团队，先做三件事：同伴辅导、义工机会和校园问答。
Nonprofit application filed
提交非营利申请
We send our 501(c)(3) application to the IRS.
向美国国税局（IRS）提交 501(c)(3) 申请。
First community dinner
第一次社区餐会
New students, parents and volunteers have dinner together and swap notes about Irvine schools.
新生、家长和义工一起吃饭，聊聊在尔湾上学的经验。
Recognized as a 501(c)(3)
获得 IRS 501(c)(3) 免税资格
The IRS recognizes NextStep as a tax-exempt nonprofit. Donations are tax-deductible.
NextStep 获得美国国税局免税非营利组织认定，捐款可以抵税。
Now
现在
Recruiting volunteers and running tutoring, guides and events for the 2026–27 school year.
招募义工，为 2026–27 学年提供辅导、指南和活动。
What we hold ourselves to
我们对自己的要求
We check what we do against these six rules.
我们做每件事，都会对照这六条。
Free for everyone
人人免费
Good school advice shouldn’t depend on what a family can pay. Everything we offer is free.
好的学业建议不该取决于家里能花多少钱。我们的所有服务都免费。
Nothing to sell
不推销
We don’t sell anything or take referral fees. We want new students and their families to feel at home in Irvine.
我们不卖任何东西，也不收介绍费。只希望新同学和他们的家庭在尔湾有归属感。
Honest
真实可信
We tell you what actually happened to us, including the mistakes.
我们讲自己真实的经历，包括犯过的错。
Show the source
给出来源
We explain how things work and link the official source, so next time you can look it up yourself.
我们讲清楚流程，附上官方来源，下次你自己就能查到。
Careful
严谨务实
We take school advice seriously. Volunteers are reviewed before they start, and they know the schools they talk about.
我们认真对待每一条建议。义工开始前会经过审核，也了解自己所说的学校。
Keep improving
持续成长
We’re students too. When something doesn’t work, we change it.
我们自己也是学生。哪里做得不好，就改。
The team
我们的团队
Everyone on the team is a high school student.
团队成员都是高中生。
Yufan Kuang
Portola High · Class of 2028
波托拉高中 · 2028届
Rem Yin
Portola High · Class of 2028
波托拉高中 · 2028届
Mingda Xu
Portola High · Class of 2028
波托拉高中 · 2028届
Zhennan Li
Portola High · Class of 2028
波托拉高中 · 2028届
Bingzhen Han
Portola High · Class of 2028
波托拉高中 · 2028届
Haoxuan Li
Portola High · Class of 2028
波托拉高中 · 2028届
Yinhan Tang
Portola High · Class of 2029
波托拉高中 · 2029届
Want to join the team? Most of us started as volunteers. 想加入团队？可以先从做义工开始。