With the leaves changing and temperatures dropping, students are settling into the school year. Our Seattle-based Youth Tutoring Program is reflecting on a productive summer of learning and adventure and celebrating a successful start to the new school year.
The Catholic Community Services Youth Tutoring Program (YTP) provides academic support and mentorship to more than 300 students living in low-income and public housing in Seattle. More than 200 volunteers including high school students, college students, and adults tutor scholars, helping them achieve academic success and build confidence.
For more than 30 years, YTP has been guiding and inspiring scholars to attain measurable improvements in school and beyond. Across YTP scholars, 95 percent of parents report improvement or maintained success in reading or math skills. Eighty-eight percent of elementary and 84 percent of high school students report improved academic success or high achievement or improvement in grades and schoolwork. Last year, 100 percent of high school seniors in YTP graduated and are now in college.
Summer Sets Scholars up for Success
Each summer, the YTP offers a six-week session that builds on scholars’ academic strengths, nurtures curiosity, and keeps the joy of learning alive. The YTP summer program is filled with hands-on STEM experiments, outdoor play, competitive math and science games, and field trips that turn learning into an adventure.
High school students play an essential role, stepping up as volunteers and paid interns who gain valuable leadership, mentorship, and professional skills while inspiring younger scholars to dream big.
The summer session can be an opportunity for scholars to grow a love of learning and develop stronger connections with their community. One family shared the transformation they saw in their child with TYP Program Manager Nick Bunda.
“Every afternoon, their child returned home beaming, eager to share what they had created and was excited to share about each activity they did during the day. The parent expressed deep gratitude for the confidence, connection, and sense of belonging their child found through YTP,” Nick says.
The family even shared that they had been considering moving away, but because their child discovered such joy and purpose through the program, they were now thinking about wanting to stay and be around the community.
“This is more than a story about summer learning,” Nick says. “It is a story about families staying rooted, communities growing stronger, and possibilities expanding, one scholar at a time.”
Diving into Fall Learning
Now with a new school year underway, YTP has welcomed students back to fall tutoring. Four days a week, YTP offers after school tutoring to students in first through twelfth grades, helping with homework, building reading and math skills, and providing connection and mentorship.
“As summer comes to a close, we’re entering the school year with renewed energy and excitement. Our scholars are returning to programming, ready to reconnect with their tutors and continue building the academic momentum they gained last year,” Nick shares.
This fall, YTP has introduced a new curriculum software that will enhance learning and provide even more personalized support. With the support of our generous community of staff, volunteers, and donors, YTP offers these transformational tools and experiences, empowering every scholar at YTP to grow thrive, and reach their full potential.