Partnership enters third year of tutoring service

C.W. Stanford Middle School student Moenesha Johnson, 13, returned this week to a tutoring program in Hillsborough.

She participated in the program last year for help in math and came back for more this school year.

“I was getting D’s and C’s,” she said. “It helped me with math and new skills to help with problems.

“After tutoring I got B’s instead of C’s.”

For the third year, the Hillsborough Police Department is partnering with UNC students to offer free tutoring sessions to county students.

The program, which began Monday, connects UNC Habitat for Humanity volunteers with Orange County Schools students for after-school tutoring sessions.

The sessions are held at the Community Policing Substation in Hillsborough from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. every Monday and Tuesday during the school year.

The program is available to all district students and provides help with reading, math and science.

UNC student Jasmine Nesi was involved in the program last year and is now the tutoring chairwoman for UNC Habitat.

“I’m interested in education, and Habitat for Humanity gives to people in need, so it’s a good organization to be involved with,” she said.

Nesi said there are 10 to 12 tutors each week — three of which assist in carpooling. Then each tutor is paired with one student depending on how many come to the session.

“The first week is a little hectic,” she said. “It just depends on how heavy the work load is.”

Zachary Butcher, a 9-year-old 4th grader at Central Elementary School, went to the tutoring program Monday for homework help.

“Tutoring helps you a lot,” he said. “If you’re reading and get stuck on an answer, they help you to sound it out.”

Cpl. Tereasa King, community policing coordinator for the police department, is the officer in charge of the tutoring sessions.

“I make sure information gets out to schools and the community,” King said. “I also make sure that kids get back with the correct parents.”

King said the police department partnered with UNC Habitat after University students participated in activities with the local Boys and Girls Club.

“I asked them if they had ever thought about tutoring, and they put us with UNC Habitat,” she said.

UNC sophomore Meghan Kos said she works as a tutor because she wants to get involved in the community.

Kos is an education major and said she plans on teaching middle school mathematics.

“But any kind of work with kids is good,” she said.

Nesi said the main goal of the program is to offer one-on-one help for the students.

The group’s largest obstacle, she said, is keeping students on task.

“The students know what they’re talking about,” she said. “We just have to keep them focused.”

Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.