The following article was authored by Natalie Monzavifar, NSF leadership team member as well as 2015 and 2016 National Peer Tutor of the Year Finalist.
When trying to start a peer-tutoring program at a school, there are several important factors to consider. Here is a 15-step outline to help students looking to create a peer tutoring program get started:
When trying to start a peer-tutoring program at a school, there are several important factors to consider. Here is a 15-step outline to help students looking to create a peer tutoring program get started:
- Develop a basic plan on how the program will work and how it can be organized.
- Meet with the administration of your school including your principal, director, school counselors, etc. They can help you begin to institute your plans.
- Find a faculty advisor that is willing to supervise and/or assist with the creation of the program.
- Gather a group of passionate students and/or friends who would like to participate as tutors for the program.
- Reach out to the student body for any more interested students who would like service or leadership opportunities as tutors.
- Draft a website and/or public access domain where information can be stored.
- Start reaching out for any students who might be interested as tutees.
- Use email, flyers, social media postings- everything you can do to advocate for the program.
- Have an area available where students are able to submit requests for tutoring (either online or near the front office, easily accessible)
- Pair students with tutors that tutor in that specific subject and are available for the times that the student is.
- Allow tutors to communicate and organize sessions with their tutees independently, and serve as a source of guidance to further community leadership and accountability.
- Follow up with students and tutors and make sure things are running smoothly.
- When the program starts to grow, look for potential candidates for leadership positions.
- Create prizes and certificates for tutors that participate in the program (Tutor of the Month, Most Subjects Tutored, Most Sessions, Best Feedback, etc); create t-shirts, host celebratory holiday or end of year thank-you banquets/ appreciation evenings to instill a sense of community and show the gratitude the school has for the tutors.
- Encourage all peer tutors to apply to the National Peer Tutor Scholarship Program!