Failing a class? Bomb that Algebra 2 test? How was that chemistry final? At an academically competitive environment like Camas High School (CHS), it is easy for students to fall behind or stress about their ability to keep up in their classes. Thanks to a new tutoring program, some help may be on the horizon.
A new daily study hall in the CHS Library Media Commons (LMC) allows students space for peer-to-peer tutoring in core classes.
The program began as a result of the same focus group that created the LMC Lunch and Learn program, a monthly seminar that works to connect students with their peers and teach them valuable mental health skills.
“Our vision as a library is to be that third space for people. One of the things that came out of [the focus groups] was a desire to connect and a desire to get help,” Albert said. “Those two things sparked the idea – we would then have a place set aside for a studying connection.”
In the past, CHS students sometimes struggled to find tutoring due to the cost.
“Tutoring is super expensive to do individually on your own, but if we’ve got volunteers [it can be done for free],” CHS Librarian Tonia Albert said.
When it came to finding students to provide the tutoring, the National Honor Society (NHS) was an easy fix. Those students need a certain number of volunteer hours (as do a number of prestigious colleges), and students who volunteered as tutors were eligible to get credit for those hours.
The program almost did not work early on due to low attendance rates.
“We did not have a lot of takers…so last week I emailed the teachers and said, okay, here’s the deal, we’re not going to be able to keep doing this,” Albert said. “And then all of the sudden we had kids coming, so it ended up working.”
The last-minute success of the LMC’s study hall prompted the LMC staff to strongly consider running it through the next year. Albert says that it will just take some more purposeful planning.
The benefit of volunteering for tutoring brought in students who are not in NHS but still want to volunteer.
“I heard a friend of mine was saying that he was tutoring, and I was like, oh, that’s cool…and the college I’m trying to get into values volunteering really highly, so I started volunteering in the learning center,” CHS student Cole Gardner said. “And when Ms. Albert decided to put together a tutoring workshop, she asked for me… It’s been a good experience, it’s been fun,” Gardner said.
While the tutoring program is going well now, both Albert and Gardner wanted to reinforce that there is still plenty more room.
“If you’re reading this story, a lot more people can be accommodated. We always have tutors here, so come any day for anything,” Gardner said.
