Tutors Needed for Special Assignment in Upland

We urgently need tutors at the following location. Please read on for details on this placement.

Reach Out (Drop-in center) – Upland

This is a new engagement for School on Wheels. We are looking for two volunteers who have some experience creating something from the ground up and who truly believe in our mission. Volunteers should be comfortable devoting at least a year to helping School on Wheels develop and strengthen our budding relationship with this location, its staff, and the students who live there.

This location is a drop-in center for older students who have been living on the streets or couch surfing. As a result, the number of students who attend tutoring each week will not be guaranteed. We will be working to create a tutoring environment that will attract and engage students.

Important Skills for Tutors Considering this Placement

School on Wheels works with students experiencing homelessness. These students carry trauma related to their unstable housing and many other experiences they may have had. School on Wheels tutors provide academic support, but in many cases, it is the other elements of tutoring–mentorship, flexibility, and consistency–that truly help our students flourish. 

Due to the nature of the population we serve and the consistent struggles they face, it is the tutors who are flexible, adaptable, compassionate, and proactive who make the biggest impact. Our partner locations are often busy and may not provide the ideal environment for learning. Families may move in and out of a shelter quickly or they may stay for months. Our students desperately need caring, motivated role models to step in once a week and provide them with support and encouragement.

If interested, please contact Regional Coordinator, Stephanie Swenseid: sswenseid@schoolonwheels.org

If you possess the following skills, you may be a perfect fit for these tutoring locations:

• Ability to build a strong rapport with students/parents/shelter staff. Students learn from who they like and trust. Building a strong relationship with them is the first step in opening the door and developing a curiosity to learn for a student. A large part of the impact tutors make at these types of locations is actually in the mentoring, self-esteem building, etc.
• Emotional intelligence and a strong capacity for empathy.
• Flexibility & adaptability. At many of our locations, kids/families are moving constantly. Tutors may see a student once or twice, or they may see them for months. The tutors who show up every week ready to take on whatever the day brings are our most valued volunteers.
• Self-starter, able to work independently or in a group. We provide all of our tutors with training and consistent support. However, these specific locations are best for tutors who feel comfortable being proactive.
• Interest in being a positive role model, mentor, and inspiration to your students.
• Ability to handle chaotic environments and teach within those environments. Our locations are often busy and may not provide the ideal environment for learning. Tutoring requires the ability to work well in this kind of environment.