Program will pair college student tutors with rising middle and high school students who have experienced learning loss due to the COVID-19 pandemic
Student tutors will earn wages for participating in one-of-a-kind educational initiative
The City University of New York announced the launch and expansion of the CUNY Tutor Corps Program with support from the Center for Youth Employment, Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD), and the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City. Established in 2016, Tutor Corps (TC) provides sustainable employment, practical career development, and academic enrichment each year to more than 250 undergraduate students representing 18 CUNY campuses. CUNY students hired by TC work with students in partnering public middle and high schools to improve the younger students’ academic skills and confidence in mathematics and computer science. With support from the Office of the Mayor, the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) operated by DYCD, the Mayor’s Fund, Suffolk Construction, and Mega Construction Corporation, TC will hire and train an additional 300 CUNY students for summer 2021 to support the academic needs of over 7,500 DOE high school students.
Tutors will be recruited and trained to support students in their resolution of incomplete grades in STEM courses through individualized instruction, work in small groups near-peer mentoring. With tutoring services available in more than 30 languages, tutors will offer specialized linguistic support and be matched to schools based on those criteria along with geographic location and content area expertise, among other factors. The program aims to increase course completion rates and bring students closer to fulfilling graduation requirements.
By giving these public, middle and high school students the opportunity to catch up and review course materials from the past year, the CUNY Tutor Corps program provides them the ability to get their studies back on track after the COVID-19 pandemic created unprecedented challenges during the previous school year. Not only will this program academically benefit students across all five boroughs, but it will also put cash directly into the hands of college students who participate.
“CUNY is proud to be working in partnership with DYCD and the Mayor’s Fund so that our students can play a vital and expanded role in New York City’s recovery this summer,” said Andrea Soonachan, University Dean for K-16 Initiatives. “Tutor Corps’ near-peer mentorship results in high-quality, impactful tutoring, which could not come at a more critical time for NYC students. Tutor Corps members will gain invaluable, real-world experience for their careers while helping the city’s students rebuild and enhance academic skills after a challenging year.”
“This year, the CUNY Tutor Corps will help ensure that the opportunity for growth and learning advancement is not lost for the thousands of students whose academic career was hindered because of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Daniele Baierlein and Jorge Luis Paniagua Valle, Co-Executive Directors of the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City. “As we commit to building back a stronger New York, we couldn’t be more proud to stand alongside our dedicated partners in support of the education and mentorships of the next generation of New Yorkers who will one day inherit our city.”
“The education and personal development students receive in middle and high school should serve as an escalator into college and ultimately to career success and economic security,” said David Fischer, Executive Director of the NYC Center for Youth Employment. “CUNY Tutor Corps is a proven strategy to reinforce classroom learning and holistic personal growth for our students. In the wake of the disruptions to this past school year, we are delighted that this vital program will reach additional thousands of New York City students.”
“The expansion of the CUNY Tutor Corps program will not only help our middle school and high school students build important learning skills that will prepare them for the upcoming school year but provide an opportunity for hundreds of college students in our SYEP program to earn some extra cash. DYCD is thrilled to work with the Center for Youth Employment, the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City and CUNY on this important educational initiative that will help countless young people get back on track toward academic success,” said DYCD Commissioner Bill Chong.
“The last year was unlike any other. As schools and enrichment programs were modified or canceled in response to COVID-19, our young people faced uncertainty and challenges in their academic journeys,” said Amy Kramer, President, New York, AT&T. “As our communities work to recover, AT&T is committed to helping New York students catch up on their education — regardless of their financial situation – and is proud to support the CUNY Tutor Corps so they can bring students together to build social and academic skills and get their studies back on track.”
“At TD, we understand the challenges our young adults are experiencing, especially learning loss during this extraordinary time of remote learning, and our support is needed now more than ever. The CUNY Tutor Corps will help address these concerns as near-peer mentors and tutors ensure our high school students remain on track for graduation. Our support reflects TD’s longstanding commitment to inclusion in all its forms, including the opportunity to empower our young adults to achieve their full potential,” said Ralph C. Bumbaca, NYC Market President.
“The employment training and academic support provided by CUNY Tutor Corps is critical to encouraging students to be lifelong learners and develop the skills needed for the workforce of tomorrow. We are thrilled to lend our support to the expansion of this program and build on our legacy of empowering young people through innovative educational experiences, especially as we look towards the City’s recovery from the challenges posed by COVID-19,” said John Fish, Chairman and CEO, Suffolk Construction.
“We are proud to partner with the Mayor’s Fund in the CUNY Tutor Corps program. Augmenting the learning experience of middle and high school students in math and computer science while offering employment and practical experience to CUNY students is a win for both tutors and tutees but most importantly is a clear win for our City as it paves a better future for all of us by enhancing the education of the next generation of its citizens,” said Hercules Argyriou, Mega Construction Corps.
The City University of New York is the nation’s largest urban public university, a transformative engine of social mobility that is a critical component of the lifeblood of New York City. Founded in 1847 as the nation’s first free public institution of higher education, CUNY today has seven community colleges, 11 senior colleges and seven graduate or professional institutions spread across New York City’s five boroughs, serving 500,000 students of all ages and awarding 55,000 degrees each year. CUNY’s mix of quality and affordability propels almost six times as many low-income students into the middle class and beyond as all the Ivy League colleges combined. More than 80 percent of the University’s graduates stay in New York, contributing to all aspects of the city’s economic, civic and cultural life and diversifying the city’s workforce in every sector. CUNY’s graduates and faculty have received many prestigious honors, including 13 Nobel Prizes and 26 MacArthur “Genius” Grants. The University’s historic mission continues to this day: provide a first-rate public education to all students, regardless of means or background.
SYEP is the nation’s largest summer youth employment initiative, and since 1963 has provided New York City young people between the ages of 14 and 24 with opportunities to explore their interests and career pathways, build workplace skills, and engage in learning experiences that help develop their social, civic and leadership skills. By partnering with CUNY Recovery Corps, we are ensuring that NYC youth are better prepared for careers of the future and will be an integral part in our City’s recovery.
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