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Scott Airmen serving children as tutors

  • Published
  • By Claudia Duncan
  • 375th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. --  Do you have an hour of time to donate to help tutor some elementary school age kids? If your answer is yes there is a place for you to fulfill your time.

Scott Elementary School is in need of tutors to donate an hour, two days a week.

Currently, about 14 Airmen from JTF Scott volunteer to help tutor approximately 90 children before and after school.

"The greatest benefit of tutoring for me is I get to use my skill," said Staff Sgt. Aaron Burley, 375th Civil Engineer Squadron readiness emergency management, who is a social studies teacher. "I would also like to see more volunteers, even at the other local schools that need tutors."

The program is not just about Airmen helping children with homework, it is about Airmen helping tutoring children who are experiencing reading and/or math difficulties.

Terry Simmons, Scott Elementary assistant principal, said she wants to make sure students know the skills in order to be successful.

The program has been going on for two years and has been very successful. Since its start, Scott Elementary has seen an increase in test scores and overall student performance.

Volunteer tutors are of great importance to the programs. They work primarily with students in third, fourth and fifth grades under the supervision of a certified teacher. Although, the session are primarily lead by certified teachers, the tutors expand the total number of students serviced through the program. Consequently, many times the tutor also serves as a great role model in addition to being a motivator to individual students.

"I enjoy working with the children," said Capt. Tommie Clark, Air Force Communications Agency technical advisor, who has been volunteering for two weeks. "It is very important to see children learning and it also helps me with my two children at home."

Anyone interested in helping with the tutoring program at Scott Elementary should contact Mrs. Simmons at 746-4783. Tutors volunteer Tuesday from 3:50-4:50 p.m. for first and second graders, Wednesday from 3:20-4:20 p.m. for third through fifth graders and everyday from 8-8:20 a.m.