RISE Philly

What are your tutor requirements? Tutors must meet the following requirements: be 18 years or older, post-secondary students, live and/or work in the Greater Philadelphia/South Jersey Area.

Which clearances do I need to get before starting tutoring sessions? All tutors are required to have their Child Abuse Clearance (free for volunteers), PA Criminal Check (free for volunteers), and FBI Fingerprinting (volunteers who have lived in PA for the past 10 years are exempt and can fill out the “Volunteer Affirmation Form” instead; otherwise, $22.60). Please see our section on “Policies - Background Checks, Clearances, Code of Ethics”

• Please review our Handbook for additional details

Do I need training? Yes! We have some training sessions and reading material that are intended to give you an overview of who we are and also give you some guidance on working with children in our city. Much of the learning will come from your experience with the individual student(s) you work with, but these sessions and readings will give you a basic foundation. 

How much time do I need to commit to be a part of this program? Our program emphasizes the importance of longitudinal relationships in tutoring and mentorship. We ask that our tutors be available for at least half of a school year to provide at least 2 hours of tutoring per week. Please see our section “Expectations of Volunteer Tutors - Commitment, Communication, Record Keeping, Pre/Post Goals and Assessment Form.”

• Please review our Handbook for further details

What if there is an emergency and I need to drop out of the program? We understand that there can be emergencies and unforeseen circumstances. We will work with you to our best abilities to find a replacement tutor in the case that you do need to stop or take a break.

How will I be matched with a student? We match our tutors based on what subjects and grades they are capable of teaching and students based on what subjects they are looking to get help with. But do note that each student may need help in multiple subjects, and in the case you are not comfortable teaching all of the subjects, we can ask another tutor to join you to tutor the student. Also, as the year progresses, each student may need help in different areas. We hope that our tutors can be flexible to meet the evolving needs of the student, but if you have concerns, please contact us via the post-session survey. 

Where will I get the training and teaching materials? Once you have committed to volunteering with us, we will pass along training materials that will help you feel more ready and comfortable to begin tutoring your student. Teaching materials will mostly consist of the student’s homework, textbooks, workbooks, etc. We will make sure each tutor has a copy of the school district's curriculum so they are confident about what the student is expected to learn by the end of the school year. Please also refer to our “Resources” page for more helpful sources. 

Where do tutor sessions take place? All tutor sessions will take place virtually using the platform that the student’s school allows. Some schools are requiring students to use only Google Hangout, while others allow students to use Zoom. The choice of platform will be determined through a shared decision making between student/parent, student’s school, and tutor.