The Problem
It’s no secret that online learning was a difficult adjustment for many students. Learning in a large online classroom meant:
- Limited student-teacher interactions
- Decreased opportunities for personalized education plans
- Reduced support from teaching staff (who were doing their best to adjust to the new teaching environment themselves)
- Difficulty focusing on their work
And as quarantine restrictions lifted and students headed back to school, we found that many students:
- Felt that there were holes in their knowledge caused by condensed curriculums during the lockdown
- Were looking for a personalized curriculum that suited their learning style
- Wanted one-on-one support to target subjects and areas they were struggling in
About the Initiative
We wanted to create a program that specifically targeted these problems. In September 2021, we launched Impact Tutoring, a peer tutoring program that matches our volunteer tutors (who are predominantly high school students) with grade one to eight students who need homework help.
Our goals were:
Details
Students enrolled in Impact Tutoring engage in weekly, one-on-one, hour-long tutoring sessions taking place over Google Meets. Subjects offered include Math, English, Science, and/or French. If either the tutee or tutor decides to conclude with tutoring, we will assign the other party to a new match.
Reach and Impact
As Impact Tutoring has expanded, so has our team and reach. As of May 2022, we have 70+ tutor-tutee pairs who are actively engaged in our program. Impact Tutoring is now overseen by our Education Cohort Director, Aydin, and operated by a team of five dedicated Volunteer Leads who help process tutor and tutee applications, review lesson plans, communicate with tutees and tutors, and expand the program.
In the past year, we have expanded our impact through partnering with OMID Foundation to provide English tutoring to marginalized young women in the Middle East, the YMCA of Greater Toronto to provide English tutoring to newcomer families, and Safetynet Children and Youth Charities to provide tutoring for disadvantaged youth. As a result, we now have tutors and tutees residing in nine countries around the world, including Turkey, the United States, Canada, Malaysia, China, Peru, and more.
Get Involved
Applications to become a tutor are open year-round and reviewed on a rolling basis. All high school students (aged 14-18) proficient in English and the subject they would like to teach who possess a high degree of initiative and great communication skills are encouraged to apply.
Successful applicants will be notified within 1-3 weeks and matched with a student. From that point on, how tutors choose to format their lessons is largely up to the tutor and tutee. Impact Tutoring will monitor tutoring sessions by reviewing a lesson plan submitted by the tutor each week, as well as staying in contact with the tutee.
Two volunteer hours are awarded per week (one for the tutoring session and one for the successful submission of a lesson plan), culminating to eight hours per month which will be authorized by Impact Without Contact at the end of each month.
If you have any questions regarding Impact Tutoring, please email impacttutoring2021@gmail.com.
If you would like to partner or support Impact Tutoring, please email impactwithoutcontact@gmail.com.