Oakdale Community Group Seeks Funding to Continue Tutoring Program

A pilot project that created a volunteer-driven after-school tutoring program for targeted Oakdale Elementary School students was a success, a program overseer said, and organizers hope to get funding to offer it again in the fall.

“The capacity is there, the desire of students is there,” said Paris Dunning, a family strengths facilitator for The Family Partnership. “It was a very successful pilot.”

The only possible roadblock to continuing in fall will be funding, Dunning said.

School District 622 Community Education funded the eight-week pilot project, which was held at , organizer Chuck Donnelly said. The group hasn’t heard back yet about whether Community Education will supply funding again, he said.

Since volunteers staff the program, it only takes about $2,400 a semester to operate—the main expense being a volunteer coordinator, Dunning said.

“We’re not talking about a lot of money,” Dunning said.

The program paired up 18 Oakdale Elementary School students with an adult volunteer twice each week for an hour after school. DeLisa Shearod, who was project manager for the program—called Kids and Koaches—said they targeted students who lived near enough to the church that they could walk there.

"The parents and the teachers both have reported back to me that they see a significant change in their children—their attitude toward doing homework," Shearod said. "It went from no homework to turning in their homework."

Parents of students gathered in the Transfiguration Catholic School cafeteria Wednesday for an end-of-session party said they appreciate the help the program has given them.

Kim Smith, the parent of two students who participated in the program, said she was excited to hear about it because sometimes she struggles to help her sons with their homework. Her older son is getting into tougher math subjects, she said, and her younger son has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

“It’s been able to help at both ends,” she said.

Volunteer tutor Barb Stene said she was nervous at first about whether she’d remember enough information from school to be able to help the students, but it worked out fine.

She said she likes that the program’s student to tutor ratio is 1:1, and that tutors work with the same student throughout.

“I think it was easier for the child … to experience a familiar person,” she said. “You get to know them so well.”

Laquecia Westley’s son liked the program because it gave him more time with his friends, she said.

“He enjoyed it—he got to see his friends,” she said. “He learns better with other kids around, so it helped him a lot.”

She said because of the program, his school performance improved.

Donnelly said in its first session—the after-school tutoring program achieved what he’d hoped it would, including involving parents more in their kids’ education.

He said he’s hopeful the Community Education money will come through, but if it doesn’t, the group of organizers might hold fundraisers to pay for it.

To contribute toward the Kids and Koaches program, email DeLisa Shearod at  dshearod@isd622.org or call her at (651) 702-8583.