SIU Seeks Tutors to Help School Children Affected by the COVID Pandemic
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May 20, 2022
SIU Seeks Tutors to Help School Children Affected by the COVID Pandemic
CARBONDALE, Illinois – The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic may be felt in countless ways for many years to come, but Southern Illinois University Carbondale is launching an intensive, research-based tutoring program to support children whose learning progress has stalled because they have not been able to attend classes as usual.
The university is now looking for tutors to work one-on-one with groups of up to three children in several area school districts, in conjunction with the Illinois Tutoring Initiative, a multi-college program of the Illinois Board of Higher Education. SIU is working with four area school districts to place academic tutors with children in grades 3-8 for reading and math and teaching high school math online.
All tutors will be trained and paid. University students, retired teachers and community members, among others, can serve as tutors at partner schools.
Southern Illinois among the hardest hit
Christie McIntyre, director of the SIU’s teacher education program, said school children in the Southern Illinois region missed opportunities to meaningfully engage with content when classes had to switch to formats online or make other changes. Additionally, some students were not able to easily access the Internet or other resources. In fact, studies have found that nowhere in the state outside of Chicago has the impact been felt so strongly.
“There are 81 schools in our area that need additional support, which have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic,” McIntyre said. This tutoring will be particularly beneficial to them.
Initially, SIU places tutors in four school districts: Herrin, Carbondale District No. 95, Murphysboro and Cobden. McIntyre said officials hope to add additional districts over time as the program becomes fully operational. There is already a waiting list of interested school districts.
Need multiple tutors
From grades 3 to 8, tutors will work three hours per week for at least eight to fourteen weeks per semester. Tutoring will be in person, primarily after school. Participating school districts will identify students. Most tutorials will be individual, although there are sessions with up to three students per tutor.
The goal is to build meaningful relationships between tutors and children, and the project includes tracking student progress, McIntyre said. Another key feature of this program is that tutoring will be aligned with the school curriculum so that students are moving in the right direction to achieve established goals for their peers and district.
Ideally, SIU would have 40 tutors for each of the school districts, McIntyre said. This literally means that hundreds of tutors are needed over the course of the program, which will initially last two years and will eventually be extended by a third.
Education Provided, Associate’s Degree Required
To participate, individuals must have at least a high school diploma and must pass a background check, which is paid for by the grant. They must also complete a five-hour online training module, created by Illinois State University.
Tutors will be reimbursed through the grant at a rate of $20 per hour for teaching and planning time, or $30 per hour if teaching three children at a time. McIntyre said most tutors would likely earn around $800 a month. This project also offers a wonderful opportunity to positively influence a child’s life and really make a difference, she said, and it’s a great resume booster for current college students. ‘ESU.
Program administrators will pair tutors and students, manage tutor supervision, and serve as the research center for the program. Anyone interested in becoming a tutor should email [email protected] for more information or visit the website.