Current Release: September 11th, 2007 | Vol. XXIV Iss. 10

Students tutor our neighbors

By patrick shahayda

mpshahayda@vwc.edu

Tutoring is now in session, at Heritage United Methodist Church. Tutoring runs from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. every Thursday. The program is free and is completely run by VWC studentsin the church located just behind the baseball and softball fields.

The project is led by VWC sophomore Ashley Roland, who is the director. It also includes student-tutors Brad Jones, Mallori King, Ebonie Toppin, R.P. Patillo, Aaron Boyd, Mollie Walsh, and Vanessa Botsford. The number of tutors ranges from eight to 10, all of them VWC students.

The students range from kindergarten age on up to the fifth grade, and are all local. All students come from Newtown, Betty F. Williams, and Diamond Springs Elementary Schools. The schools are Title

I, low-income schools, hence the nature of the program being free.

The tutoring project has seen a marked increase over the course of the year. The maximum number of students last year was seven; this year it is about 20. The tutors help the students with their school homework, such as addition and subtraction, and also work with the children acording to their parent’s instructions.

Ashley Roland especially enjoys working with the kids.

“Yeah,” she said, “I think that the interaction we have with the kids is just as good for us as it is for them.”

But more tutors are still needed. If you have any free time between 3:30 and 5:30 on Thursday, there are a few good youngsters who need help with their schoolwork. No prior tutoring experience is required; you just have to like helping students who are having a little trouble with their homework.

For those interested, contact Roland at aeroland@vwc.edu.

As Ashley puts it, “It’s nice to be a positive role model.”