By James Lomuscio
What if your child’s tutor not only knew the subject well, but but had taken the very same class with the same teacher and knew the classroom and school dynamic to boot?
Greg Lewis (c) and Gabe Schindler (r), both 19 and Staples 2011 grads, show U.S. Rep. Jim Himes their Pencil Warriors website outside Oscar’s Delicatessen on Westport’s Main Street today. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Helen Klisser During for WestportNow.com
Those ideas came to Greg Lewis, a 2011 graduate of Westport’s Staples High School, during his senior year. This past year at Amherst College, the 19-year-old economics major thought about it long and hard.
Driven by the entrepreneurial spirit, Lewis and close friend Gabe Schindler, also a 2011 Staples graduate, teamed up this summer to launch a business that does just that, linking high school students who do well with those who could benefit from their expertise. Their venture is called Pencil Warrior, their website http://www.pencilwarrior.com.
“The page is still completely under-construction and in ‘beta’, although the aesthetics and programming will be complete within the next few days,” says Schindler.
To date, they have amassed a mix of 50 high performing students, not to mention star athletes, who can offer help in both the classroom and on the playing field.
“What we are is a platform for the Westport community,” says Schindler, a fine arts major at the University of Michigan. “We created a website that allows students to share their successes in their community. It’s for high school level students who can become a mentor in their community.
“Let’s say you receive an A minus, you’re a JV athlete or a talented musician or artist,” he added. “You’re able to go on our site, and market yourself to share your abilities.”
Parents can log on, find a tutor who has taken the same class and has gotten at least an A minus confirmed by transcripts and hire him or her, says Schindler. The tutors can do it for free “or make their own wages” which would cost less than a tutoring service, says Schindler.
Greg Lewis (l) and Gabe Schindler with their website in front of Oscar’s Delicatessen on Westport’s Main Street today. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Helen Klisser Duing for WestportNow.com
“A tutor for AP chemistry could be $150 an hour,” he said, “but here you have a student who has taken the same course who could be charging $30 an hour,” says Schindler.
“Our main goal educating from the bottom up, taking the success that is shown here,” says Schindler, who ran with Lewis’ idea to redesign the website. “It’s all new, and we’re looking for Westport’s reception to it.”
So much so that Schindler and Lewis showed up today outside Oscar’s Deli to share their idea with U.S. Congressman Jim Himes, who was holding a “meet and greet” there.
“I knew he was coming by,” said Schindler, who met Himes two years ago when he received a Congressional arts award.
“He loves the idea. His whole pitch for education is to use new resources, and this is one way you can do it, educating from the bottom up. We’re just so happy to bring this to Westport.”
Lewis agreed, saying that the program allows Westport students who have many opportunities for success to share them with the community.
“Right now, it’s strictly for high school students because when you leave for college, you’re outside the community,” says Lewis. “We want the person down the road.”
He added that the tutorials provide time for in-person communication on the wane in the Facebook era.
“People think they can connect strictly on line, and that’s detrimental,” Lewis said.
“What this does is that it brings people from their work desk to a park bench. It makes a social interaction an actual interaction.”
