E1T1 (Each One, Teach One)
“Mentoring is a brain to pick, an ear to listen, and a push in the right direction.” — John Crosby
In October 2020, we launched our Saturday morning tutoring program. Our volunteer who created the program, Tiesha Dyer, had originally planned to recruit local university students as tutors, but COVID-19 made it challenging. What happened instead was far more meaningful. Our own community filled the need. A group of nine volunteers–a mix of teachers, lawyers, college students and Delray Beach leaders –dedicated two hours every Saturday to tutor our nine students in person, or on video as needed, assisting with homework and ensuring they completed assignments. Recognizing the mental health and educational challenges of youth during COVID, the tutors created a “circle of trust”conversation with the students following certain tutoring sessions to open a space where both youth and adults could share their feelings and find support. The tutoring program is expanding in 2021 to offer weekly FSA test preparation classes.
Goals
- Assist students with defining and meeting their academic, social and personal goals.
- Match students with a trusted adult to help support students through guided mentorship.
Milestones
Our tutoring program launched in October 2021 as a weekly tutoring program on Saturdays. The program has expanded to include afterschool tutoring and FSA prep.
Enrolled students participate in individual and group mentoring on a weekly basis throughout the year. This consists of writing out and agreeing on SMART goals with a mentor and regular check ups. GPA’s, attendance, and involvement in out of school activities are monitored. The tutoring program supports students struggling academically with one on one support with the course work, as well as social activities planned for engagement.
