Granada Hills Charter’s Academic Mentor Program (AMP) offers free tutoring in more than 30 subjects, but the number of tutors outnumbers the students coming in for help, leaving some mentors with no one to tutor.
Tutoring is available during zero period, sixth period, and after school in subjects including science, math, and English. No appointment is required and walk-ins are welcome. Students who want regular tutoring sessions may contact the program through the counseling office.
GHC students also have the opportunity to become Academic Mentors and tutor other students one-on-one. To be eligible, students must have earned a B or higher in the subject they wish to tutor and have an overall GPA of 3.0 or above. Mentors may tutor for volunteer hours or to clear detention hours.
Although AMP offers several options for tutoring, attendance remains low with the number of available mentors. For students who joined the program to help their peers, this can mean spending a tutoring period waiting for someone to arrive.
“I reaaly enjoy being an AMP mentor,” senior Remi May said. “I feel fulfilled when I am helping people who may not undertstand subjects such as math or chemistry. Even when I’m not tutoring someone, the tutor center gives me a place to be able to focus fuly on my own classwork.”
The difference between the number of tutors and students seeking help raises questions about what keeps students from attending. Some may not know about the program, while others may have scheduling conflicts or feel uncomfortable asking for help.
For students whose schedules cannot accommodate in-person sessions, online tutoring may offer another option. By visiting Tutor.com students can access live tutoring at any time of the day. Although these tutoring sessions are not as extensive as the in-person ones that GHC offers, “Tutor.com” is still a helpful tool for struggling students who also play sports or have a lot of extracurriculars.
AMP provides opportunities for students to receive academic help and for mentors to share what they know. However, GHC cannot force students to use provided resources. It is up to the students to take advantage of these opportunities that are available to them and improve their grades. AMP is dedicated to be there for students for every step of the way, no matter the subject or how long it takes.
