Abhinav Muraleedaran, Aakash Trivedi, and Krish Sharma have seen classmates with poor grades who are too self-conscious to seek extra help, yet unable to afford private tutoring.

Muraleedaran, a sophomore at Chelmsford High, and Trivedi and Sharma, a junior and freshman at Westford Academy, decided to do something about it.

The teens recently launched Bright Future Education to provide free tutoring to local students whose families are unable to pay for services.

“We want to level the playing field. Students shouldn’t be left behind just because they don’t have the same opportunities,’’ said Sharma, 15, who interviews families, tutors younger students, and manages the business side through his involvement in DECA, a global business organization that mentors high school and college students.

All three teens help their younger siblings with homework. Trivedi, 17, and Muraleedaran, 15, also have tutoring experience in the community.

According to Trivedi, two instructors co-lead each one-hour session of four to seven students grouped by grade level. Although general worksheets are available, students are encouraged to bring specific questions about their schoolwork for personalized help.

Students in grades 3-9 can sign up for classes at bfeducation.weebly.com, which the teens are promoting through Facebook, fliers, and word of mouth. Sessions are held in meeting rooms provided at no cost by the Chelmsford Public Library and J.V. Fletcher Library in Westford.

“I feel like it’s awkward to get tutored in front of your peers in the school library, with everyone talking around you and not being able to join in the fun,’’ Sharma said. “This way is more comfortable because not all the focus is on you.’’

Muraleedaran said he wants to be seen as a friend and mentor, not a teacher. “I want other kids to feel they can tell me about any problems they’re having in school without worrying, ‘This guy is going to judge me,’ ’’ he said.

The teens met about a year and a half ago during after-school enrichment sessions at MatScience21 in Westford. They launched Bright Future Education within a few weeks of receiving encouraging feedback from Kasthuri Gopalaratnam of Acton, MatScience21’s principal instructor.

“They’re all highly accomplished in academics, sports, music, you name it. I said, ‘You have the knowledge. Do you have an hour or two to spare in the week? How can you give back?’ ’’ recalled Gopalaratnam. “We’ve had a lot of conversations around it, but even so, they surprised me with their professionalism. I’m very proud of them.’’

Trivedi and Sharma also sought advice from James Antonelli, principal of Westford Academy, which serves as the town’s public high school, who sees their venture as complementary to the school’s current offerings. Upperclassmen in the National Honor Society provide free peer tutoring daily in the library, and families also may request a list of tutors with teaching certifications who charge up to $85 an hour.

“Definitely there are some students struggling academically, and some parents struggling financially who can’t afford that,’’ said Antonelli. “[Trivedi and Sharma] are very nice, self-motivating – not to mention entrepreneurial – young men who want to help other students. We had a good discussion, and they took the ball and ran with it. It’s good to see that kind of advocacy.’’

At Chelmsford High, advisers match students who need help with National Honor Society members who are high-performing in a desired subject area. In addition, all teachers are available to students for extra help during a 50-minute “flex block’’ as part of the regular school day every Thursday. A list of outside, fee-based educators and organizations also is available.

According to Heather Galante, dean at Chelmsford High School, parents’ willingness to pay for tutoring illustrates the high stakes for students to excel in all academic areas. She isn’t surprised by Muraleedaran’s involvement, noting that he is helping “out of the goodness of his heart, not to look good on a resume or to others.’’

“I’m excited for Abhi, and I hope [Bright Future Education] takes off because he’s so passionate about helping those who don’t have the same opportunities as others,’’ said Galante, who was recently named the new principal at Bedford High School. “We have a lot of students who do great academically, but it’s harder to teach someone to be a good person. We’re proud to have him here.’’

Trivedi, who saw even more need in neighboring Lowell before moving to Westford last year, said he is committed to equipping any student who can arrange transportation to the Chelmsford and Westford libraries with the skills required for success in the modern workplace.

“We want to bring students up to the same level so they can get into the same great college and have the same great future,’’ he said.

Cindy Cantrell can be reached at cindycantrell20@gmail.com.