Camps prepare high schoolers to pass on learning as tutors

June 6, 2008

High school juniors and seniors are coming to the Auburn University campus for a different type of summer camp.  These students bring with them the desire to better the opportunities for their classmates by serving as tutors in their local afterschool programs.

The John D. Freeman 21st Century Community Learning Center Summer Camps offer rising high school juniors and seniors the chance to enhance their academic skills and develop confidence while becoming effective after-school tutors.  These students are predominately from low-income Alabama communities.

The camps, now in their third season, are coordinated by the College of Education's Truman Pierce Institute and co-hosted by the AU Outreach Program Office .

As part of the camp, students will learn tutoring skills, experience science through nature, live on campus, enjoy the arts and meet peers from other schools.  Dr. Cindy Reed, director of the Truman Pierce Institute, notes that these camps might be the first higher education experience for many of the campers.

"Our camp experience helps to get these students excited about attending college, and they will consider Auburn as a college choice," Reed said.  "We hope many of these campers will see the power of education through their roles as tutors and even consider careers as educators themselves."

Two Auburn camps this summer will each serve about 30 students.  Camp participants will enhance their knowledge of and learn about tutoring strategies for writing, mathematics, art and science.

Through grant funding from the Alabama State Department of Education, scholarships are granted to all campers to underwrite lodging, fees, meals and supplies.  In return, campers agree to provide at least 40 hours of tutoring service in their home schools' CCLC extended-day or extended-year program.  These students will apply their camp experiences in tutoring elementary and middle-school students.

Affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education, the 21st Century Community Learning Center program supports the creation of community learning centers by providing enriching academic opportunities for children—particularly those attending high-poverty, low-performing schools.  The program seeks to help students meet state and local standards in core academic subjects while offering an array of enrichment activities that compliment their regular academic programs.

Auburn's camps are scheduled for June 8-13 and July 13-18 and will involve learning opportunities throughout the AU campus.  Information is available online here . The Truman Pierce Institute also coordinates similar camps at five other Alabama higher education institutions.