A community tutoring program is all  about people. The most necessary resources include individuals who are willing to

develop and run the program, tutors who volunteer regularly,

and become mentors along the way, children who are served.

Every community can benefit from a tutoring and mentoring program.  There are plenty of children who need help with their schoolwork and who need encouragement from other adults.

Step One

School Connection - School administrators, teachers and parents should be approached at the very beginning to get their input.

Partnerships - Partnerships can  be formed with public libraries,

local businesses, corporate offices located in the area, religious organizations, government agencies, and any groups that are interested in the education of their children.

Core Group - At least two people  are needed to oversee the

program. Responsibilities such as recruiting tutors and students,

applying for grants, purchasing snacks, bookkeeping and other

managerial skills are needed.

Step Two

Choosing a location is important.  The site must be large enough and convenient for parents to drop off and pick up their children. The location may determine what time tutoring can be held. If the program is held at school, probably tutoring will occur soon after school dismisses; although, a short recess and snack before beginning is recommended. Off school locations may mean meeting in the evening.  Example: 6:30-8:30 p.m. allows 30

minutes to get snacks and get organized...1 hour for homework.

Step Three

Once a group of community members, parents, teachers and

others are committed to the idea of starting a tutoring prog ram, the next step is to make sure there are enough volunteers willing to be tutors. Recruiting tutors can be done through churches, public and private high schools, community newspapers, neighborhood newsletters, local libraries, and finally, by good old word of mouth.

Step Four

Recruiting students to receive free tutoring can be done in several

ways. Children can be recommended by parents, principals, teachers, or school staff who see the need for help in schoolwork.

Step Five

Two paid positions - Funds can come from PTOs and grants.

Coordinator - This person pairs up students and tutors, keeps attendance, helps tutors with their questions about specific homework assignments, provides supervision, encourages a quiet but upbeat atmosphere, and passes out snacks at the end of the evening. Continuity is important for both the children and volunteerns so that every effort can be made to match students with the same tutors each session.

Parent-Teacher Liaison - This person is the crucial link between the students, tutors, parents and teachers.

Step Six

Money is certainly helpful to the program but at the beginning, people volunteering their time and getting donations of books, supplies and snacks can get you through the first stages of the program. Once the specific needs for the program are

identified, grants and contributions can be sought.

Donations - PTOs and private citizens are a good source.

Grants can be sought from local, state and federal government agencies.

Step Seven

Tax Exempt Non-Profit status is the best way to get contributions

Step Eight

Volunteer tutors should be trained at  least twice a year. The training should be held the week before the tutoring is scheduled to begin.

1st training - introduce new teaching strategies, tell what a typical tutoring session will be like, answer questions, do a few interactive exercises, and introduce the key players in the program.

2nd training - should be mid-year. Specialized training might cover specific subjects such as reading methods or using math manipulatives. This is an opportune time to solicit and discusss ideas and criticisms from tutors

Step Nine

Materials and handouts for both  volunteers and students are

important to increase communication and information. Include parent/guardian consent forms, a calendar, lists of emergency

numbers and telephone number of the location of the program.

Step Ten

Evaluation and progress reports help maintain objectives and also serve as a catalyst to make improvements. The school can be of great assistance in creating a pre- and post evaluation tool to measure a student's progress. Attendance record, homework completion, reading and math levels, test scores are all solid

measurements. Parent permission is needed to get this information

from the school (which may be included on the parent/guardian

consent form).

Step Eleven

Networking and strengthening partnerships should be continuous.

Step Twelve

Remember, this program is a team effort. Involve everyone in the

program. Listen to everyone's ideas. Have social events for tutors,

students and parents.