This school year, students had to adjust to a new learning environment. With many students in the Next Level Scholars (NLS) program learning from home this year, and some students following a hybrid or an in-person model, we knew we needed to continue providing stable, consistent support no matter the circumstances. We were proud to have provided the services of Tutor.com to our students.
Tutor.com allows students to chat with professional tutors on-demand at any time of the day or night, as often as they need to, and for any subject they’re studying. This personalized instruction helps ensure that our students have extra support available to them while working hard to succeed in their classes. Thanks in part to a grant from Eagles for Children, Detroit Regional Dollars for Scholars (DRDFS) was able to provide this service at no cost to our students.
Pictured below is Annie, a Next Level Scholar from Ida High School. The screen image shows Annie completing a tutoring session for a math problem she needed help with. In order to work through questions together, students and tutors are able to utilize an interactive white board, along with a chat box. Annie has used Tutor.com multiple times and is very thankful for the support, telling DRDFS “I have been choosing the option without the video and just typing over computer with a tutor while we work out problems on the whiteboard. All of the tutors I worked with have been very encouraging, patient and friendly. They know how to explain (Algebra) problems in different ways. Every tutor is different, and every one of them has helped me, and made me understand more than I did before. I’m very happy Dollars for Scholars has enrolled us in this program because has really helped me a lot!”
Another student, Omimah from Melvindale HS, reflected on using Tutor.com, saying, “Tutor.com has been such a helpful resource. It has been helping me get my homework done. You can choose from a voice chat or typing chat. While you are getting help from tutor you can ask as many questions as you want and they will try to answer them in the best way! I’m glad that Dollars for Scholars offers this help to us.”
With the help of a weekly student newsletter, students receive reminders that the service is available for them to log on and begin a tutoring session any time. In a recent survey, we also asked students to reflect on a subject they need help with. That information has informed more targeted messages to students, such as “Still struggling with Algebra? Log in to Tutor.com to reach your GPA goal this semester!” These strategies, along with 1:1 and small group calls to log in to the service are impactful reminders to students that this additional support is there.
Interested in learning more about how Tutor.com impacted students in the NLS program this school year? Click here to see what a senior student had to say in A Journey to Post-Secondary Education on YouTube.
Learn more about Eagles for Children
“I grew up without a clue of what I wanted to do, or where I wanted to go in life, until I had the opportunity to join Dollars for Scholars my sophomore year of high school. From visiting campuses, to SAT prep, the guidance I received from the program changed my entire outlook.
“From college tours to financial aid, Dollars for Scholars has greatly impacted my path to higher education. As a first generation college student, deciding where I would want to continue my education and figuring out how I would get there was a difficult process. My family and I lacked the time and transportation necessary to visit schools, and this limited me in figuring out my future.
“When joining Dollars for Scholars, I was eager to visit colleges and earn scholarship money. Being able to look at all the different schools with other students I could relate to was so reassuring. Dollars for Scholars was able to answer my questions about the ins & outs of post-secondary education, as well assist me with applications. This extra help was so motivating.
“Detroit Regional Dollars for Scholars is a life-changing program. Before high school, I was going down a path that if most kids took, they’d end up either dropping out of school or going to jail. Detroit Regional Dollars for Scholars helped inspire me to get on a better path by showing me how to prepare for college. Hearing other students’ stories made me feel like I could be successful both in high school and post-secondary education.