On January 19th, Birmingham City Schools in partnership United Way of Central Alabama (UWCA) launched a high-dosage tutoring program enlisting students from local-area colleges. One hundred students from UAB, Miles College, Samford University, Birmingham-Southern College, Jefferson State Community College and Lawson State Community College will serve as tutors in Birmingham City Schools in an effort to address learning loss experienced as a result of the pandemic.
Students will get the help they need to catch up from the pandemic; and tutors will gain real-world experience and insight into the rewards of teaching.
“Our teachers in Birmingham City Schools do an excellent job with our students, but we know many of our scholars can benefit academically from additional attention to the details of learning,” said Superintendent Dr. Mark Sullivan. Sarah Newell, UWCA Senior Vice President for Community Impact, said, “We believe we will provide essential learning support to K through 12 students who need extra help getting caught up academically following the pandemic. An additional benefit of the program will be the ability to expose area college students to the amazing opportunities they have to teach our students right here in Birmingham.”
We are hopeful that this program will provide much needed academic support for BCS students, as well as make a positive impact on local-area colleges and their participating tutors.
For more information on the Birmingham City Schools Tutoring Partnership, or to get involved as a tutor, please contact TutoringPartnership@uwca.org.