ALEXANDRIA, VA – The Alexandria Tutoring Consortium (ATC) is doing its part to help students get ready for the new school year. Today the 501(c)(3) organization launched a $22,000 fundraiser to purchase books for kids who will begin its Virtual Literacy Tutoring Program this fall. That amount is the estimated cost of books for 150 students.
Burke & Herbert Bank, the first reported donor, has generously given $1,000.
Founded in 1996, ATC partners with Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) to tutor students in kindergarten and first grade. Volunteers learn tutoring skills from a University of Virginia curriculum.
Before the onset of the pandemic, students and tutors met one-on-one twice a week. Now, with virtual learning in the future for all ACPS students, ATC has had to shift their learning model as well. They instituted spring and summer virtual programs, which have seen all participants progress in their reading ability.
“This has been a trying time,” said ATC Board Chair Yvonne Folkerts. “Yet despite the challenges, our tutors remained dedicated, the parents supported our virtual needs, our staff stayed true to our mission, and the students have benefited.”
Over 100 tutors are participating in the virtual program. The success they have with students, monitored by paid staff, is demonstrated by the statistic that 84 percent of students who have participated in the summer reading program for the last two years will soon be reading at grade level .And with two more weeks to go, ATC is confident the percentage could increase.
That is why ATC made the decision to continue the program in a virtual format for the entire 2020-2021 school year. But with that decision, a challenge has arisen. Before the pandemic, ACPS would provide books to students to be kept in the classroom. With no in-person access to schools for the year, students must be given books individually.
Want to help? Click HERE to donate. Checks are also welcome. They can be mailed to: The Alexandria Tutoring Consortium, attn. Executive Director Lisa Jacobs, 323 South Fairfax Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314.
