Staff Report
As we start a new school year in uncertain times, Nature Coast Tutoring, LLC (NCT) is offering a unique program to help local students achieve academic success. The tutoring company, founded in 2014, is offering parents a discount to have local National Honor Society (NHS) students tutor students in grades K-12 through Zoom. Students can get tutoring help with classwork, homework, and test preparation, all in the comfort of their home. Whether students are learning at home or at school, NCT and NHS can help them navigate these challenging times and ensure learning continues.
This past Spring, during the unusual fourth quarter of school, NCT piloted the tutoring program. After more than 130 tutoring hours counted and positive feedback from parents, Christine King, NCT Marketing and Operations Director decided to continue the partnership with NHS to help students.
“Marianne Domico (NHS coordinator at Nature Coast Technical High School) approached me and asked if we could work together to help kids during quarantine,” explains King. “Little did we know what a positive impact this would have on the community.”
NCT advertised on its Facebook page and Domico shared the program with teachers in the school district. The program began on April 13 and ran through the end of the school year. “Our first week, we had 15 hours of tutoring. And that number increased every week,” says King.
Nature Coast Tutoring gives back 20% of the proceeds from each (already discounted) tutoring session to the National Honor Society. The individual NHS tutors receive points for tutoring. Each NHS student has to participate in NHS activities and volunteer opportunities each year in order to stay in the NHS program and eventually receive the NHS stole at graduation. Students tutoring with Nature Coast Tutoring receive one point for each tutoring session. For the fall, Nature Coast High School has capped the points NHS tutors can receive at 10. It’s up to each individual NHS coordinator to set a limit. “In the spring, since it was new and we were all in emergency mode, there was no limit,” explained King.
The varied make-up of NHS students was key to helping Hernando County’s diverse student population. From a little boy in kindergarten at Westside whose family only speaks Chinese, to a third-grader at J.D. Floyd who needed a Spanish-speaking tutor, NCT was able to partner the right tutor with students. “We had a student who had all his credits to move from 8th grade to high school, but was struggling with math,” notes King. “A dedicated young man tutored this student every day, at whatever time the boy could get on Wi-Fi, to ensure he passed math and moved on to high school.”
More than 61 student-tutors from Nature Coast Tech and Springstead participated in the program and King hopes NHS members from the other Hernando County high schools participate this school year.
“We’re offering this NHS program because we have fewer teachers who can tutor, in addition to their responsibilities in the classroom this year,” King adds. The NHS students really impressed me, and I’m happy to work with them again.”
Parents were happy to have help in the spring. “Please let those girls [NHS tutors] know that everything they are doing, as well as the others students that offer their time to help those students struggling are greatly appreciated more than they know,” declares Jessica Roman, parent of 5th and an 8th graders who received tutoring in the spring. “Their compassion to help others speaks volumes and will make a huge difference in the community.”
As part of NCT’s business model, all tutors are current or former teachers, King said. “I insist on that because teachers know what’s being taught right now in the classroom, and they know the expectations. However, this year, teachers are already so overwhelmed. They are excited to be teaching again, but the circumstances are trying for everyone.”
Parents can get more information about the Nature Coast Tutoring NHS tutoring program by emailing [email protected]. The company will respond with information about discounts, types of tutoring available, and how parents can schedule tutoring.
