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Trinity River Mission, a nonprofit agency serving the needs of the West Dallas community, has begun an online math tutoring program for the children who participate in their after school programs. They are providing one-to-one tutoring with technology to kids in second to eighth grades.
Trinity River Mission (TRM) is a volunteer-based community learning center serving the intergenerational education needs of children, youth, and families in West Dallas. TRM began in the early 1960s as an outreach ministry of Lovers Lane United Methodist Church and in 1988 became an independent 501(c)(3) organization.
Since 1988, TRM’s focus has been to promote literacy, augment academic skills, and develop educational success among children, youth, and families, with the understanding that language proficiency and educational achievement opens doors to satisfying jobs and productive futures.
TRM has always had its strength in reading and writing and solely recruited tutors to help students in those areas. This school year more and more students were requesting help with their math homework. TRM decided to meet a challenge desperately needed among the students in their community and focus on a math tutoring program. Math scores for many of their kids were low. They learned ut is easier to find volunteers to tutor children in reading and writing skills. Math was a different problem.
TRM’s leadership recognized they needed to find a way to help their students with math homework. It was hard to find qualified tutors who would volunteer their time to work with the students at the TRM site. They found Ed2Net Learning and partnered with them to provide live, one-on-one tutoring for grade-school kids. The system offers tutoring help for the students with a “real person” via the internet. The tutors are volunteers who have the flexibility of choosing a time to tutor from anywhere the tutor has access to a computer or laptop. This flexibility opens the door for many qualified tutors who aren’t able to commit the time to tutor plus drive to and from Trinity River Mission. They can sign on to tutor at work or at home. Each tutoring session lasts 45 minutes. Volunteers are expected to commit a minimum of three hours each week. They are asked to tutor two students each in 45 minute sessions. The remainder of the three hours will be used to prepare for tutoring and to document sessions on
each student.
Great results have already started to happen. One student in the 5th grade has been working with her online tutor for since October 2008. Her teacher notified Dolores Sosa Green, executive director of Trinity River Mission, that the student’s test scores have already significantly increased.
“We are very excited about the online Math tutoring program for our kids. Kids love to play on the computer. Now they can learn while they are playing,” said Sosa Green. “They can also build a relationship with their online tutor and gain a mentor to encourage them through their classes in school.”
Volunteers for the program are needed. A volunteer must have a solid understanding of grade level mathematics (2nd through 8th grade); communicate effectively via the internet, commit three hours per week to tutor their assigned student. Sosa Green says a good sense of humor also helps.
Daniel, age 12 and in the 8th grade (he moved one grade ahead in elementary school because of his academic achievements) says he loves working with his online math tutor. “I have been taking online tutoring since last year. It helps me with Math and Algebra 1. The online math tutoring has helped me to pass my math class and the TAKS test. It has also helped me with technology and how to talk to people all around the nation. And it’s more fun on the computer.”
Other programs offered by TRM to the 275 children enrolled in their after school program include Homework Help, Kids Café, Tutor Power Hour, Reading Buddies, Believe and Achieve Scholarship Program, Family Connection and Computer Lab. The Scholarship Program has over 120 youth, 6th through 12th grade, who are paired with Big Brothers Big Sisters mentors and work closely with the students to encourage strong academic success, improve self-esteem, and pursue post-secondary education (academic or vocational). Upon successful completion in all components of the program and high school graduation, students receive a $4,000 scholarship from Trinity River Mission if they continue onto college or vocational schools.
The Tutor Power Hour is well-known in Dallas' educational circles and is utilized as a model for other literacy programs. More than 140 students in grades K – 12 meet weekly with an assigned literacy tutor who concentrates on developing literacy skills in reading and writing. There are more than 100 trained tutors.
For more information or if you would like to volunteer to tutor, please visit www.trinityrivermission.org or contact the TRM office at 214-744-6774 to learn how you can help.
