ATHENS W.Va. (Hinton News) – Homework help has arrived for families and teachers in five West Virginia counties. Tutor.com is now available to students 13 years or older and their families in 7th or 8th-grade public schools in Wyoming, Mercer, Raleigh, Monroe, and Summers Counties. The service will help bridge the gap between the classroom and learning brought on by the pandemic for the high school classes of 2028 and 2029. Students 12 years or younger in the same named grades can access help at tutor.com if their parents or guardians have returned a signed permission slip.
Tutor.com is a 24/7 resource for students, teachers, parents, and the GEAR UP Southern West Virginia (GEAR UP SWV)team. Students and parents can connect with a live tutor during sessions, drop off writing samples or assignments to get direct feedback on this assignment, prepare for tests and more. It is also a resource to help parents gain confidence while helping their students with schoolwork.
“Having grown up in southern West Virginia, I imagine the advantages of having on demand tutoring. The difference that would have made for me as a student, and later as a mom, are immense. To have assistance right at your fingertips will be such an incredible resource for our GEAR UP SWV families,” Kristen O’Sullivan, Director of GEAR UP SWV.
In West Virginia, there are several barriers that students must overcome to succeed in college such as low postsecondary expectations, high teacher turnover, and lack of academic college readiness.
Southern West Virginia teachers are answering the call to educate young people, but teachers are only available during the school day. While some teachers go above and beyond to answer emails and messages in the evenings, it is not a sustainable practice.
Teachers in 7th and 8th-grade public schools in these five counties can offer tutor.com as a resource of live interaction for students falling behind, wanting to boost their grades or help boost student confidence. The platform will also serve as a form of consistency in the classrooms.
Parents, and many times, grandparents are also stepping in to support students in the region but many
lack the resources to help with homework. Tutor.com is just one way that GEAR UP SWV is meeting
students, parents, and teachers where they are.
“Our students are currently in the 7th and 8th grades, and we will be working with this group through the years until they graduate from high school. One of the many great things about Tutor.com is that not only can students find help with their current studies, but when they reach high school, it will help them study for the ACT and SAT, the tests students take to get into college. Right now, in our area, ACT and SAT study help is limited and this will certainly help bridge that gap,” Partnership Coordinator Jenn Fram said. Frame coordinates in Monroe, Summers, and Raleigh Counties.
GEAR UP SWV students can access Tutor.com by going to www.tutor.com/gearupswv. Students younger than 13 years of age should have their parents/guardians sign and return a paper permission slip before using tutor.com. Parents should allow 2-4 weeks processing after permission slips are signed and returned.
GEAR UP stands for Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs and is part of a national grant program funded through the U.S. Department of Education. GEAR UP SWV works with the high class of 2028 and 2029 currently in 7th and 8th graders, in Mercer, Monroe, Summers, Raleigh, and Wyoming Counties to ensure high school graduation. The program also informs students and families of ways to succeed in a postsecondary education and ways to help fund it. GEAR UP SWV supports teachers, administrators, students, and families on this educational journey.
GEAR UP Southern West Virginia (GEAR UP SWV) helps students graduate from high school and succeed in postsecondary education. GEAR UP SWV; securing a legacy of strength and resilience in Appalachia. Find more information on GEAR UP SWV social media pages and on our website, conord.edu/gearup.
