The Kids

Grades and test scores can clearly prove that providing tutors for students helps them succeed in school. But to see how truly beneficial tutors can be, all you have to do is talk to the kids whose lives are directly touched by these helping hands.

Amanda, Gabrielle and Sharlona, all 13 years old, are students at Risen Christ School in Minneapolis. Risen Christ has a large force of volunteers who regularly spend time with the students. These three girls have found time with their tutor, "Miss V.," to be invaluable.

"She reads out of Teen News Weekly with us," Amanda said. "She helps so much and we can talk about anything with her." "We like talking to her. It relaxes us a little bit more because it's not your teacher and it really helps us," Gabrielle said.

These girls like having an adult to spend time with, someone they can talk to about all kinds of things that interest them, even video games. They also enjoy getting out of the classroom and into a smaller group to read something other than a textbook. "I think it's really good for kids our age to know what's going on in the world so I like when we read about it," Amanda said. "Teachers teach so many kids so it's nice to have some time for just a few of us," Gabrielle said.

Sharlona said that the tutors are very helpful when they're around and schools should really have more of them, but not just for the kids who need extra help. "It's good if the kids who are doing fine have tutors too, so they can do even better and be challenged more," Sharlona said.

The girls take a lot of pride in their school and they think that all of the volunteers around are a major part of what makes it so great. By having people take time to help them, students see firsthand the benefits of helping others. "Since we see all these volunteers then we want to help out too," Gabrielle said.

The girls said they try to be good role models for the younger students, because the volunteers are such good role models for them.

"Since we have good role models then we want to be good role models for other people too," Sharlona said.

"It's like a family here," Amanda said. "It makes you feel safe."

A number of the tutors are students at St. Thomas Law School.   Pictured below is one of the law students helping a junior high student at St. Elizabeth Seton School with math.   Students at the Law School have found tutoring to be a very rewarding way to fulfill a community service requirement.