Parents & Guardians
Is my student's school eligible for Care for Students?
Care for Students is proud to partner with public elementary, middle, and high schools. We put a particular emphasis on schools that serve students of low income or underrepresented communities – students that may not otherwise have access to tutoring. Recommendations from parents go a long way in helping us partner with a school, so if you believe that your student’s school may be a fit for our program, fill out the form below:
How does Care for Students work?
Virtual Tutoring Sessions
These virtual, small-group tutoring sessions last one hour and recur weekly. Each session consists of two co-volunteers and 3-5 middle or high school students. Volunteers can either choose to co-tutor with a friend, or have us match them to a random volunteer based on their availability (and make a new friend!). After co-volunteers are matched, they are connected to a weekly tutoring session slot and an educator at one of our partner schools.
Each tutoring session slot focuses specifically on a single grade-level and subject (i.e. 8th Grade Math), and aligns to the curriculum of the educator and their students. The educator will most likely be a teacher, administrator, or interventionist/case worker. Their role is to provide the volunteers with materials each week as well as invite students to the tutoring sessions.
Co-volunteers tutor the same students for one hour each week over the course of a semester-long cohort. Through connection, care, and communication, tutors empower their students with a deeper understanding of course material, support their teachers with feedback and Microsoft Volunteer Match donations, all the while refining their own teaching and leadership skills.
Feedback for Teachers
After each tutoring session volunteers fill out a Volunteer Reflection Template. This is a small form for the tutors to reflect on their own experience teaching the session, as well as provide valuable feedback for teachers on their students' learning. For example: are students excelling in circular circumference, but struggling with circular area? That information is invaluable for teachers, and writing it down will give educators the tools to make the best use of limited class time.
Measured Outcomes
We believe learning should be measured both quantitatively and qualitatively. To measure a students subjective learning experience, we provide a survey at the beginning and end of the program with questions vetted by teachers and specifically targeted to help students reflect on their levels of understanding. In addition, to the extent that the educator is comfortable with sharing, we also monitor our impact on student test performance.
Targeted Philanthropy
Using the Microsoft Corporate Volunteer Match we are able to send a donation for every hour a volunteer spends tutoring directly to the your school. With each sessions two co-volunteers, and two hours spent total spent tutoring, preparing and reflecting this amounts to a sizable grant by over the course of a year.
Have more questions?
Though the majority of our sessions are based in small groups. Upon request, and through the school, we are sometimes able to facilitate 1:1 tutoring.
Our tutoring focuses primarily on Math and Science, but depending on the interest at the school we can provide tutoring in other subjects.
All of our volunteers are background checked Microsoft employees. All have 4-year college degrees, and some have advanced degrees (masters, PHDs).