by Heidi L. Everett
editor@thenewsleaders.com
A free, online tutoring service is here to help students make the grade as distance learning has exacerbated trying to understand daily lessons and homework.
Around Cloud Tutors, which launched Jan. 11, is an online service to provide tutoring to St. Cloud area students at no charge. Tutoring is available in three languages – English, Somali and Spanish – including for students with special needs or those needing post-secondary advising.
“A lot of people were asking, ‘how can we ensure St. Cloud area students don’t fall behind in their schooling due to the challenges of COVID-19?’” said Gail Cruikshank, talent director at Greater St. Cloud Development Corp. “We learned that a College of St. Benedict student had begun an online tutoring program in Monticello, so we contacted her and other area organizations to explore creation of an expanded version of that program for our region.”
Around Cloud Tutors is an initiative of the St. Cloud United Way in partnership with the GSDC, Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Minnesota, College of St. Benedict and St. John’s University, St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud Technical and Community College and AmeriCorps Seniors.
K-12 students and their parents can sign up at www.AroundCloudTutors.org for one-on-one sessions covering reading, math, social studies, English/language arts and Spanish.
Tutors are available Monday through Friday for 30-minute sessions. Students may register for as many sessions as they wish based on tutor availability.
