K-12 Tutor with New Arrivals

Name of agency and statement of purpose: 

The Karen Organization of Minnesota’s (KOM) mission is to build on the strengths of refugee and immigrant communities and remove barriers to achieving economic, social, and cultural wellbeing.

Purpose/objective:

KOM is part of a cohort of agencies working with new arrival youth and families through the Youth & Family Coach Program. KOM coordinates tutoring for K-12 students enrolled in the Youth & Family Coach program for KOM and four partner organizations: Afghan Cultural Society, GAP (Guadalupe Alternative Programs), Oromo Community of Minnesota, and Ukrainian American Community Center. Youth in the program have been in the U.S. for under five years.

Key Responsibilities:

• Help K-12 students with homework one-on-one or with their siblings
  • Homework subjects vary by student, but include general elementary, middle school, and high school subjects (English reading and writing, History, Math, Science)
  • Encourage students to practice study skills
• Practice English reading, writing, or conversation with students who have limited English proficiency
  • Languages spoken by students in the Youth & Family Coach program: Somali, Amharic, Oromo, Pashto, Dari, Karen, Karenni, and Ukrainian.

Time commitment: 

Available to tutor at least 1-3 hours/week during the after-school time in the afternoon or evening. Tutoring times are available weekdays, depending on the program and agency host site.

Location:

Tutoring options both in-person and virtual. For virtual tutoring, tutors will meet online with students via Google Meet. Tutors will meet with students in-person at a local library, at the agency host site, or other nearby public space in the Twin Cities area verified by the agency.

Qualifications: 

Patient, flexible and self-motivated college students or adults who have a passion to tutor K-12 students with limited English proficiency. Experience working with new arrivals of various backgrounds is beneficial.

Measures: 

Volunteers are required to report their volunteer times to the staff coordinator for their program and notify the coordinator of any absences.

Benefits: 

The tutor has the opportunity to grow their tutoring skills for students with limited English proficiency and enhance their cross-cultural communication skills.

How to apply/contact: 

Please complete KOM’s Volunteer Application online or contact Suzanne Olive to receive a paper application. Volunteers will complete an interview to discuss their availability and interest in tutoring. Then they will be required to attend a volunteer tutoring orientation led by KOM, be subject to a background check, and will then be connected with the program coordinator.