With schools closed, Girls Inc. of San Diego County continues to support the needs of underserved girls with remote mentoring. We have invited middle school and high school girls to attend daily, online group mentoring sessions designed specifically for each age group.
Trained program mentors talk with girls about their well-being, provide academic support and cheer them on as they prepare to move up a grade level or graduate high school during these high-stress times.
Girls are seeking help with schoolwork. Many were already behind when schools closed and are at risk of falling further behind as they transition to online learning.
For example, ninth-grader Eli is receiving weekly tutoring for her algebra assignments to make sure she does not fall behind like many of her peers. I asked her knowledgeable she felt about her assignments. Before tutoring, she rated her knowledge a two on a scale of 1 – 10, 10 being “exceedingly knowledgeable.” After her first tutoring session, she ranked her knowledge an 8.
Eli experienced a huge jump in confidence after just one hour of tutoring with Girls Inc. of San Diego County. Now that Eli is receiving weekly tutoring, she is catching up on all her schoolwork. More importantly, she is gaining confidence to be able to tackle her assignments independently.
Eli is a ninth-grader and comes from a family of five. During the video calls, her younger sibling will sometimes make an appearance to say “hello!”. Even though her mom cannot help her with her algebra, she supports her daughter’s learning by bringing her snacks and drinks.
Eli says she is doing her best but finds the current remote-learning environment challenging because as she puts it, “my dad and older sister work, so it’s just me, my brother and my mom. It’s stressful. I am trying to do assignments, but I am also responsible for my chores and taking care of my younger brother. By the time I finally have some spare time to do homework, I am already tired and don’t do it. So, this tutoring helps!”
The Girls Inc. of San Diego team is reaching out to participants to remind them they are not alone. We are still here to support and cheer them on. Girls have the opportunity to engage with trained program mentors, participate in activities and conversations around self-care, economic literacy, physical wellness, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and more!
Graduating Girls Inc. seniors who did not get the opportunity of a proper and well-deserved send-off will be participating in a summer class online, focusing on college readiness. They will learn pointers for college freshmen, budgeting skills and what to expect in the transition from high school to college. This valuable program is to encourage our young graduates to continue down the right path in their education and remain engaged with each other to serve as examples to younger participants.