Written by: Claire Cotie
KCI recently introduced a new initiative this month: a peer tutoring program as a part of the “Grade 9 Hub.” The program was introduced by KCI’s current co-primes, Madi and Chiamaka, and the guidance department as a way for grade nine students to receive extra help from older students.
Madi and Chiamaka both included peer tutoring in their proposals when running for co-prime. In the words of Madi, “[they] noticed that KCI was in need of accessible and affordable academic support” and implemented the peer tutoring program to “provide all students, especially grade nines, with valuable advice, mentorship, and support with school work.”
The peer tutoring program is designed to benefit both students being tutored, as well as the peer tutors themselves. Madi and Chiamaka hope that students will “gain valuable support [...] that will reflect in the success they see in their classes.” Their goal with the program is to allow grade nine students to reach their full potential and a “minimum of level three, the provincial standard, in core subjects” to follow KCI’s learning and improvement plan. As well, Madi explained she and Chiamaka “hope peer tutors gain leadership experience, and continue to develop their teaching skills and strategies.”
The program has been well-received by staff and students thus far, with many peer tutors available to offer students support in Math, Science, French, and English. Madi and Chiamaka “want to continue to see as many students using the room and offer the peer support [...] for anyone who needs it.” The co-primes concluded by saying that they “hope that this peer tutoring lives on with future co-primes, KCI’s guidance department, and KCI’s students.”
If you are a junior student looking for some help with Math, English, Science or French work, head down to Student Success in room 274 on Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays at lunch to receive tutoring from senior students. And, if you are a senior student who excels at one or multiple of the subjects above, are looking for a chance to earn volunteer hours, and would enjoy tutoring fellow students, fill out the Google Form in the KCI Instagram bio to become a peer tutor.