In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the YMCA at Virginia Tech has created the Online Homework Help and Tutoring Program to offer local students the opportunity to receive homework/school work assistance.
The program is staffed by volunteers from Virginia Tech who will be available to assist students in all curriculum areas. In addition to homework help and tutoring, this service also acts as a tool for kids to practice their skill sets.
Young people can find out for themselves if they are smarter than a Virginia Tech student by jumping into a session with tough educational problems and see who comes up with the answers first.
Erica Martin is a sophomore at Virginia Tech majoring in national security and foreign affairs, criminology, and Russian and is involved in campus organizations such as Help Save the Next Girl at Virginia Tech and the VT Chapter of Soma International. She was a program leader for the Prices Fork Elementary YMCA After-School Connections program.
“We have been working on the Y Online Tutoring/Homework Help program for the past semester and we are so excited to finally get it up and running,” Martin said. “We created this program to help supplement student learning and to also give volunteer opportunities to Virginia Tech students during the COVID-19 pandemic. We look forward to expanding our program and watching it grow throughout the year.”
Jarrett Holmes is in his second year at Tech and is pursuing a BA degree in political science with a minor in business. Apart from the YMCA, he works with the Campus Scouts and VT’s academic competition organization and enjoys some light karaoke on the weekends with his mates in East Ambler Johnston Hall. Holmes said “Before COVID, I was a program leader for the Y’s after-school care and enrichment at Blacksburg Middle School, and I’m looking forward to resuming this fall should conditions allow.”
The program is free and open to all youth and young people ages five through 18. To participate, students can log in to https://vtymca.org/online-tutoring/ and receive assistance from volunteer tutors. The program is meant to be a “use as you need,” so anyone can stop by to receive help. Access to the program and homework help from Virginia Tech students is available Monday through Friday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m..
All VT volunteers undergo an extensive background check through a third-party organization before participating.
