When the parishioners of St. Rose of Lima church launched a volunteer tutoring program in September, they had no clue how wildly successful it would become.
Hard-working students and mentors have become part of a weekly gathering in the church's basement, where they lend each other a helping hand in subjects such as calculus, geography and English. Travis Ratnam, 28, is one of the organizers of the tutoring program, which caters to about 50 students at all educational levels. The tutors themselves range from high school students, up to working professionals. He said the tutors have set an example for others, and that it's nice to see even teenagers taking on the role of mentor."This program has really energized the youth, and I think that is something that was really needed," he said. "It is important that younger kids get outside of mass and put words into practice by helping out the community."The curriculum was devised by the volunteers based on the needs of the students, so in essence, it is a personalized educational experience, Ratnam said. He added that the tutors have been creative with their teaching strategies. "Some of the students don't grasp onto concepts the same as others." Because of this, some teachers have successfully implemented other teaching techniques, such as writing out numbers or words instead of solely using verbal communications, which helps students who are visual learners. Since the program began in the fall, Ratnam said many students have reported higher grades from school.Raveen Rahulan, 17, was struggling in his Grade 12 physics class last semester, but he said the tutors helped him pass and he is well on his way to graduating.He added the tutoring is more effective because of its one-on-one approach as opposed to the larger sessions offered at his high school.While tutoring is the focus of the program, students like Rahulan have gained something else."They have found role models from within the community," Ratnam said, adding that having someone to look to for help from time to time is an invaluable asset.Rahulan, who has plans to study business or engineering at Ryerson University, agreed."They (the tutors) help you with school work, but they also give you insight into other life experiences, like university."With the program continuing into 2010, it recently took an interesting turn. Most parents would drop their kids off for the hour-long session, but some started sitting in on the program. After a lesson was held about using computers and software, the parents in attendance had started to sit in with their children and became learners themselves."The parents were very responsive to what we were teaching," he said. "So we saw the demand and opened it up to them."The church has organized sessions to teach word processing and Internet software to adults, and so far about 25 have signed up.Ratnam said the parents, some being recent Canadians, benefit from having this kind of accessible learning resource, adding that what they walk away with can come in handy for both personal and business use.