Nonprofit RSVP seeks math-savvy volunteers to expand virtual training
Community-based nonprofit RSVP of King of Prussia has expanded its wide-ranging virtual math tutoring program to help fourth-graders. Before COVID-19, the My Free Tutor program matched some 50 volunteers with middle, high school and college students as well as veterans preparing for college.
“Given the challenges families are facing with their child learning from home, we felt it was important to expand the program to younger students who may be struggling with math concepts,” said RSVP Executive Director Michele Moll. “So My Free Tutor is now available for students in fourth grade through high school and beyond.”
Volunteers who enjoy math and working with kids or young adults are needed to tutor one or more students online once a week for an hour, plus preparation time. Prospective volunteers must pass an open-book algebra test and state background checks required for working with children.
They then receive two to four weeks of online training before choosing from a list of students needing tutors at various grade levels and times of day. The tutoring takes place online using a whiteboard program but not cameras.
“We found that many students attending school from home or in hybrid schedules are falling behind earlier,” said My Free Tutor and STEM Coordinator Anabella Tracy. “In fourth grade, they learn important basics that prepare them for pre-algebra, such as percentages, fractions, negative numbers, division and multiplication of double digits.
“Expanding to younger students offers an opportunity to volunteer for adults who like math but might not be comfortable teaching algebra, algebra 2 or pre-calculus. We’re starting (elementary-level math tutoring) with 10 volunteers. We’re going to need more, though we also need tutors for the higher grade levels.”
A tutor’s perspective
Frantz Dussek is a retired engineer and professional science and math tutor.
“People comfortable with math should give tutoring a try,” he said. “My Free Tutor trains you and provides material. They don’t just throw you out there. They make sure you are qualified. Before each session, you’re going to have to do some preparation on your own.”
Last semester, Dussek tutored an eighth-grader “who had some deficiencies, but we worked on them. I tried to get her away from the abstract and relate to real life. For example, if she was adding -12 and 5, I told her, ‘Look at it this way: You owe somebody $12 but pay them $5. How much do you still owe?”
He is just starting sessions with a fourth-grader.
Dussek tutors from his home in Florida.
“People here weren’t interested in tutoring,” he said. “I searched online and saw something about My Free Tutor. Tutoring is what I love doing, so I called Anabella Tracy, got certified and got this chance to help kids who are struggling. The way I look at it, if I can help one kid, I’ve done well. It’s a very rewarding experience. You can see the progress.”
A parent’s viewpoint
Donna Davis’s daughter Cayla, now a sixth-grader, meets weekly with her tutor, Francis Vithayathil.
“I had paid for help from a learning center, but it was expensive,” Donna said. “Having a tutor who is free, can start on Cayla’s level and work with her needs is a blessing.
“This program really helps me as a single parent concerned about education, because education is the key to success. Cayla wants to be a teacher. It’s a wonderful program. Francis is building Cayla’s confidence, not only in math but in speaking to other people.”
Although Cayla’s 4:30 p.m. Tuesday sessions are supposed to end at 5:30, “sometimes Francis is still going after 6,” Davis said. “He doesn’t stop until Cayla explains to him how she got the answer. For the marking period that ended right before Christmas break, she got an A in math. Before that, she was a C student.”
“Her confidence in math is building. That man has a passion
and wants to teach children. If you have that in you, please pass it on to today’s children,” she said.
College students benefit, too
Julani Ghana, director of student success and retention at Cheney University of Pennsylvania, has worked with My Free Tutor for several years. He previously directed a program that helped Chester-area middle and high school students develop skills needed for college.
At Cheney, America’s oldest historically Black college, Ghana worked with RSVP to develop a unique winter break program. Because of COVID-19, students were on break from the holidays through the end of January.
“That’s a long break,” he said. “Students need to brush off the cobwebs.”
So working with Anabella Tracy, RSVP volunteer coordinator, he asked tutors to pick four topics within several math courses, creating single-topic weekly workshops for the month of January.
“It’s been really good,” Ghana said. “We had a very nice response from students. They are getting prepared for challenging math classes. They’re getting familiar with their tutors and it sets the stage for the spring. Depending on the availability of tutors, we should be able to help students who struggle. My Free Tutor has really supplemented our retention efforts in an invaluable way.”
Ghana urged potential volunteers with a math interest to consider the program.
“People willing to tutor for free are hard to find,” he said. “Top students, they’ve got stuff they want to do. My experience is that this program has been just a blessing.”
For more information
You’ll find detailed information at www.rsvpmc.org/my-free-tutor-home-page.
To discuss or apply to volunteer for the program, call RSVP’s volunteer coordinator at 834-1040, ext. 123, or email anabellat@rsvpmc.org.
To learn about additional RSVP programs, visit www.rsvpmc.org.
RSVP improves the lives of vulnerable populations in the Greater Philadelphia area and beyond with programs focusing on education and wellness that utilize a dedicated pool of more than 1,200 volunteers.