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North Broad Street Tutoring
Description: Colgate students both mentor and tutor kindergarten through sixth-grade students at North Broad Street Elementary School in Oneida, a relatively low-income area. Colgate students have the opportunity to tutor in the grade level of their choice either in the classroom or as part of an afterschool program. The main goal of this group is to create a stable relationship between elementary school and college students, who encourage the children academically as well as socially.
Volunteers spend approximately two and a half hours per week with the club, including transportation. North Broad Tutors work in Oneida, and transportation is provided by student drivers involved in the program. Having a car is not a necessity.
Some past events have included a “Colgate Day,” where the tutors brought the elementary kids to campus. The students played on the racquetball courts, climbed on the rock wall, visited a dorm room, took a brief tour of the campus, and had dinner (and dessert!) at Frank Dining Hall. Since many of the kids were completely unfamiliar with college life, it was an excellent opportunity to challenge their expectations.
Community: Tutors go to Oneida, about 25 minutes away from Colgate, to North Broad Street Elementary School.
Volunteers say: "By traveling to Oneida, we understand first-hand the depth of economic problems in the Upstate New York area. Yet, this very awakening makes the experience that much more rewarding. We feel as though they are truly making a difference for these children and their community. Thus, this program enriches our Colgate life because it encourages a sense of value."
