Can you spare an hour a week – a small amount of time that can make a big difference? Invest in Youth is signing up volunteers now:

Your investment of one hour a week can lead to a lifetime of dividends for a child…

Invest in Youth is a Seattle-based non-profit organization that provides free tutoring to local elementary students across the city, including two West Seattle elementary schools (Roxhill and the new Fairmount Park). Our program is unique in that we don’t charge families or schools to provide our quality tutoring services. We are able to do this because of the support of our volunteers who commit to tutoring a 3rd through 5th grade student once a week. Will you join us this fall?

The program is pretty straightforward:

Each tutor is matched with the same student for the whole school year and works on things like playing math games, reading stories or working on homework, for just one hour every week. Educational materials and activities, training and support, and heartfelt appreciation are provided at every session.

Tutoring begins the first week of October, runs through May, and takes place once every week across six conveniently located elementary schools in Seattle:

Mondays: Roxhill Elementary (West Seattle) from 3:50-4:50 p.m.
Tuesdays: Beacon Hill International School (Beacon Hill) from 3:00-4:00 p.m.
Tuesdays: Madrona K-8 (Madrona) from 4:10-5:10 p.m.
Wednesdays: Daniel Bagley Elementary (Green Lake) from 3:50-4:50 p.m.
Thursdays: Fairmount Park Elementary (West Seattle) from 3:00-4:00 p.m.
Thursdays: Thurgood Marshall Elementary (Judkins Park) from 3:50-4:50 p.m.

The impact of Invest in Youth’s tutoring program is dramatic:

· 100% of classroom teachers agreed during the 2013-2014 school year that Invest in Youth was a valuable resource for their students.

· Students made an average gain of 19% in math and 13.5% in reading as measured by Invest in Youth’s pre and post-assessment.

· Tutors felt that the lasting bond they form with their student is the most meaningful element of the program.

With at least 85% of students enrolled in Invest in Youth being eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, it is likely that these students would not be able to receive one-on-one tutoring each week for the whole school year by a reliable adult if it wasn’t for our committed volunteers. We are looking for volunteer tutors to join us this fall in our mission to enhance the academic abilities, self-confidence and life prospects of Seattle students. Please sign up today!

For more information or to apply to be a tutor, please visit our website: investinyouth.org. Can’t commit to the full school year? We have substitutes to fill in for you when necessary, so don’t let busy schedules dissuade you from participating – or “share” a student and the commitment by signing up with a friend!