For the grant- and sponsorship-funded TutorMeK5 program, families will learn about available free tutoring opportunities through their child’s school or classroom teacher. The school or teacher will identify students who may benefit from additional academic support and contact the parent or guardian about the opportunity. Participation is voluntary, and there is no cost to families whose children participate in the funded program. 

The free TutorMeK5 program is intended for elementary-age students who need additional academic support and whose families do not have the financial means to pay for private tutoring. Participating schools and teachers will identify students who may benefit from individualized tutoring and discuss the opportunity with their parents or guardians. There is no cost to families whose children participate in the funded program. The number of students served will depend on available grant and sponsorship funding. 

Participating schools and classroom teachers will identify students who would benefit from additional academic support. The teacher or school will contact the parent or guardian to explain the tutoring opportunity and determine whether they would like their child to participate. Participation is completely voluntary, and TutorMeK5 does not select the students. Once a parent or guardian agrees, the student is referred to TutorMeK5. Available tutoring openings will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis, based on available grant and sponsorship funding. 

There is no set length of time because every student’s academic needs are different. The length of time a student receives tutoring will depend on the areas in which additional support is needed, the student’s progress, and available grant and sponsorship funding. My goal is to provide consistent support—generally at least two one-hour sessions per week—so students have meaningful time to strengthen skills and build confidence. Progress will be monitored, and I will work with the teacher and parent or guardian to determine the student’s ongoing tutoring needs. 

All TutorMeK5 tutoring is currently provided personally by Barbara Harding, Founder and Executive Director of Inner City Youth, Inc. Barbara has approximately 15 years of tutoring experience and has provided academic support to more than 500 elementary-age students through her parent-paid private tutoring services. She will bring that same individualized approach and experience to students participating in the free, grant- and sponsorship-funded TutorMeK5 program.

TutorMeK5 is intentionally structured this way — with Barbara providing all tutoring services personally — rather than with a team of tutors. This allows her to work directly with each student, maintain consistent standards, and remain personally accountable for the quality and progress of every child's instruction.

Because TutorMeK5 provides individualized one-on-one tutoring, the caseload is structured to ensure that each student receives consistent, personalized attention. Barbara Harding has successfully tutored approximately six to eight students per week while maintaining individualized attention for each child.

For the free TutorMeK5 program, the number of students served will depend on available grant and sponsorship funding, each student’s academic needs, and the number of tutoring sessions required. The priority is to provide consistent, quality tutoring to each student rather than accept more students than can be effectively served.

TutorMeK5 primarily provides support in reading, math, and writing, along with homework assistance when needed. The specific areas addressed will depend on each student’s grade level and individual academic needs.

Tutoring, however, is about more than academics. One-on-one instruction gives students individualized attention and a comfortable environment where they can ask questions, make mistakes, and learn without feeling embarrassed. In addition to strengthening academic skills, TutorMeK5 seeks to help students build self-esteem, confidence, and a belief in their ability to succeed. 

TutorMeK5 will maintain an individual student tracking system to document each student’s academic needs, individualized goals, areas addressed during tutoring, attendance and tutoring sessions, and progress over time.

Barbara will work collaboratively with the student’s teacher to develop an individualized tutoring plan based on the areas where additional support is needed. Progress will be monitored throughout the tutoring period, and the plan can be adjusted as the student’s needs change. Communication with the teacher and parent or guardian will help ensure that everyone is working together to support the student’s progress.