14th March 2011 9:00
By Blue Tutors
A volunteer tutoring programme in California is helping the local students, and bringing them closer together. The programme is run by a College student, Maria Perez, and meets twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 4pm and 5:30pm. The subjects covered are generally English and Maths, but Maria and her one volunteer helper are happy to try and help with whatever subject the kids are struggling with.
One of the barriers for the students is language; not for them themselves, but their parents often don’t speak English, which means that they find it very difficult to help even at an elementary level. The programme actually allows the parents to wander in and out of the lessons though, so they can begin to pick up on the subjects that are being tutored. It that way it’s helped the students and their parents to develop a sense of community because they have a place to meet their neighbours.
As always, it’s difficult to measure the success of such a tutoring programme, but maybe one of the best ways is to listen to what the students say. Karla Zennon, a 7 year old who attends the sessions said of her homework: “it’s hard, and I come over here because they help me. I like stuff that’s hard.” Karla’s two siblings attend the classes too, and feel similarly. The classes aren’t massive, but Maria Perez still finds it difficult to help everyone with only one helper, but the kids involved certainly seem to be enjoying the lessons.