Middle school students will stay after-school to take part in online math tutoring with an EnCorps-vetted science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) professional
LOS ANGELES, CA – October 4, 2022 – EnCorps, Inc. is proud to announce the kick-off of a hybrid model for its STEMx Expert Tutors Program, a program that began in 2020-21 to counter the COVID-related math learning loss for students of color in under-resourced communities. A total of seven schools, six in Los Angeles, California and one in Denver, Colorado, will see a cohort of students at each school take part in after-school hybrid math tutoring where an EnCorps-vetted science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) professional will join them online for one hour, twice a week. The 2:1 hybrid model (two students for each virtual math tutor) was launched to give sixth grade students, who are 11 years old, the in-person support and the setting they need to succeed with online tutoring.
“Data has shown that 84% of students who take part in the STEMx Expert Tutors Program improved their math proficiency,” explains Katherine Wilcox, Executive Director at EnCorps. “Based on feedback from teachers, parents and students, the hybrid model was a natural progression to expand the positive impact of the program and reach more students by offering the support they need.”
The release of the 2020-21 California Assessment and Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) math results reflect the urgent need for tutoring for students of color in under-resourced schools. According to CAASPP data, 58.82% of sixth grade students who identify as Black or African American and 54.2% of students who identify as Latinx or Hispanic did not meet grade-level math standards.
About the STEMx Expert Tutors Program
In the 2020-21 and 2021-22 school years, the EnCorps STEMx Expert Tutors Program served over 155 students in seven Los Angeles middle schools. Volunteer tutors must attend a virtual one hour and a half training session and meet one of EnCorps’ qualification requirements:
- Have a bachelor’s degree (does not have to be in a STEM field) and have at least one year of hands-on STEM industry work experience or have an advanced degree in a STEM field;
- Be a junior or senior in a college accredited STEM bachelor’s program;
- Hold a professional certificate in a STEM field and have at least one year of hands-on STEM work experience; or
- Are a current or former credentialed math teacher.
Tutors volunteer for two hours per week for two consecutive semesters with the option to renew their commitment. EnCorps continues to grow the program and is currently accepting applications for its STEMx Expert Tutors Program.
About EnCorps Inc.
EnCorps Inc., a Los Angeles-based nonprofit with operations in Californias as well the greater Denver, Colorado and New York City areas, connects high-quality STEM educators with public school students in under-resourced communities to counter the systemic injustice preventing children of color from entering the STEM workforce. The EnCorps STEM Teachers Program recruits, selects and supports STEM professionals, military veterans, and those who possess an advanced degree in a STEM field to transition to teaching as an innovative, long-term solution to the STEM teacher shortage. The EnCorps STEMx Expert Tutor Program matches middle school students at under-resourced schools, currently under-performing in math, with volunteer STEM professionals. Learn more: https://encorps.org/