By Jaime Bairaktaris
Staples High School seniors Daryl Choi and Max Hammer have started a Westport chapter of Tutors for Opportunity (TFO), an international, nonprofit, all-volunteer tutoring service.
Staples tutors include (l-r) Timothy Chiang, Douglas Raigosa, Max Hammer, Daryl Choi, Julia Schorr, and Annie Gao. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Jaime Bairaktaris for WestportNow.com
“The not-for-profit organization aims to educate more people to create a better tomorrow, believing that educating people today will help create a new generation tomorrow that has the ability to solve and prevent our most common worldwide issues,” says Choi.
In its first six months, he says the new organization has tutored more than 100 students worldwide and about 20 in Westport.
Tutoring is available in all subjects for elementary, middle and high school students. Math and physical science are subjects most commonly requested.
All tutors, who receive no compensation, work one hour per week. Cost is $40 per hour “but are flexible to meet the needs of families that may not be able to afford the full price, especially the clients in the lower-income areas of Fairfield County,” Choi said.
Staples student tutors are seniors Douglas Raigosa, Julia Schorr, Annie Gao, and junior Timothy Chiang.
Each tutor is required to have received at least a 4 out of 5 on the advanced placement exam in the subject of which they tutor and must maintain at least a 35 out of 36 on the ACT and 2350 on the SAT.
TFO was founded six months ago by six students who met at a summer program hosted by Columbia University. One of them was Choi.
According to Choi, TFO has 60 tutors spread throughout chapters in 17 states and 10 countries. Each chapter boasts qualified tutors, some of them local teachers or professors, others high achieving students.
Choi said all money collected is then given to Kiva, an international nonprofit founded in San Francisco 10 years ago to supply small loans to entrepreneurs “aiming to create a better world.”
“Once the money is given to Kiva, they send Tutors for Opportunity a list of pre-screened educational facilities in need around the world for TFO executives to choose to donate to,” Choi said.
Westport will donate to groups around the globe, including Malaysia and Sudan. Kiva has recipients in 80 countries. Other donors include HP, Pearson, and Google.
While tutoring is hard work, Staples junior Timothy Chiang said he is up for the challenge.
“I’m thrilled that we have been able to reach so many different countries and promote high quality education as a whole organization,” he said.
Senior Annie Gao agreed.
“I joined because I thought it was cool that it was founded by kids my age, and that I’ll be able to help and meet so many school aged kids from around the area,” she said.
“Even if the main purpose is to educate others, being a tutor is a learning experience all in itself,” says Choi. “The group says that they have come to learn through their work with TFO that high quality education is something that most take for granted. “
For further information or to request a tutor, visit http://www.tutorsforopportunity.org.
