Project S.O.A.R
Project SOAR (Student Opportunities for Achieving Results) began under the name School Partnership Program in 1985 as a vehicle for forming relationships between university students and adolescents who are attending some of New York City's lowest performing schools.
It started as a small pilot program, staffed by graduate students, and we were selected by the New York State Department of Education as the model for a statewide initiative entitled the Liberty Partnership Program(LPP). Over the years, we have further supplemented our program through U.S. Department of Education grants, private foundation support, and The New York City Department of Education Project Achieve monies. To date, we have worked with nearly 6,000 students.
Our tutoring program begins with the assumption that all students have the desire and capacity to learn.
Our uniqueness lies in the fact that NYU graduate students (masters or doctoral candidates) are themselves energetically engaged in the learning process. Graduate students are chosen for their maturity, commitment, academic capability, and, above all, for their high energy levels and successful experience in working with children and adolescents.
Benefits to Instructional Mediator
- First-hand experience with urban public school
- Developing a strong camaraderie with fellow graduate students
- Stipend and an hourly wage
How does it work?
Students are referred to Instructional Mediators by teachers, counselors or administrators. Instructional Mediators work with youth in one-on-one or small-group settings after careful arrangements are made with school liaisons. Each graduate student carries a caseload of 15-20 students. The tutoring team is on site four days a week during the school day.
Instructional Mediators assist students in the following subject areas: reading, writing, science, social studies, and math.
Benefits to the students
- Increase in student attendance rate
- Improved behavior because of the unique tutor/student relationship
- Academic improvement