Tutoring has Resumed!
Tutor Mary Smersh reports that each week Tim, her student at Thurgood Marshall (pictured here with teacher Brie Damatio) is online and ready to go. Tim spends his school days at a local community center and connects with Mary through the school district’s online learning platform, Seasaw. Together they are able to spend their one-on-one hour mostly as they have in the past, reviewing homework, reading together and catching up on their past week.
We’re Back with the Students!
Halting our tutoring program earlier this year was difficult and painful as we knew most of the students we serve would be particularly at risk of falling further behind their peers. Our board and staff began working with school administrators and teachers to determine how Invest in Youth could and would stay relevant to students once classroom learning resumed.
Once it became clear that in-school class would not begin in the fall as many had hoped, we initiated conversations with principals and teachers (and some parents) to strategize how we would continue of our mission to enhance the academic abilities, self-confidence and life prospects of our students.
Seesaw, the Online Learning Platform
Building upon our strong relationships with our schools, tutors are now trained to use Seesaw, the online platform the Seattle School District uses. While online learning has its challenges, tutors are able to partner with students’ teachers as well as the parents to view assignments, what has been turned in and what is due when. Tutors can communicate with both teachers and parents to better understand areas students should focus on and how to best offer their support.
online interaction
Using Seesaw tutors can watch as students work through math and other problems.
showing the work
As students go through their work, either on Seesaw or in this case, in a workbook, students and tutors work together.
If you’re interested in continuing your support of our students, please visit https://www.investinyouth.org/give where you’ll find a donate link.