KINGSTON -- A group of students have created a virtual tutoring program to help their fellow peers during the COVID pandemic.
The "In it to Win it" program is being offered through the Kingston Public Library.
Students in Grades 7 and 8 can sign up, as well as those in high school who need specialized help. Tutoring sessions are free and offered once a week.
Grade 11 student Rushmeet Kaur Singh is one of the handful of teenage tutors. The students are under the octomester system, which has kids learning one subject a day for several weeks at a time. She says this year has been especially difficult.
“When this opportunity came up I thought, you know, why not help others with their studies and stuff, because I know how it feels," Singh explains in an interview with CTV News Ottawa.
The students use zoom and it is built in whiteboard program and screen sharing to help bridge the gap.
The virtual tutoring program is monitored by the library for safety, says programming Manager Kimberly Sutherland Mills.
"They indicate where they need help, and then we will assign, the staff member in charge will assign a tutor to a teen based on their interests and whether we think they’ll be a good match," she explains.
It’s available to students at any board in Kingston-Frontenac, and offers help with everything from math, science, English and French.
The program was created by 16-year-old Charlotte Goobie, as a way for older students to earn volunteer hours and help students who may be struggling.
"It just made it less isolating, it made it less difficult for us to learn during school," says Goobie.
It will be offered throughout the school year.
"You can come every week or you can just come one week if there’s something in particular you need help with," says Sutherland Mills. "But we will be here if you need us."
The tutoring service is being offered each Wednesday from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. To sign up, visit the Kingston Public Library website or email kmills@kfpl.ca
