Community Volunteer Hub

FAMILIES: REQUEST A TUTOR

Pleasanton PTA Community Volunteer Hub provides free academic support for vulnerable and at-risk youth who have fallen behind in their grade-level studies. Local adult and teen volunteers provide weekly, one-on-one tutoring and mentoring for PUSD students grades K-12.

If you are the parent or guardian of a PUSD student who would benefit from tutoring in Math, Science, Language Arts (reading & writing), Social Sciences, and English language practice, please fill out the Tutor Request Application above to indicate your student’s subjects of need and their availability. 

InterestED In Volunteering As A tutor?

To sign up as a tutor, fill out the volunteer tutor application above.

Frequently Asked Questions about Tutoring

HOW MUCH TIME AM I REQUIRED TO VOLUNTEER? You can have an impact on a child’s education with just one hour per week, although many of our tutors add additional tutoring hours if their schedule allows. 

HOW OLD DO I HAVE TO BE TO TUTOR? Any local high school student or adult can tutor with the Hub.

DO I NEED TUTORING EXPERIENCE? No prior tutoring experience is required. We provide a brief training and ongoing support. Check out the training and workshop calendar (link coming soon!).

WHAT AGE ARE THE STUDENTS I WILL BE WORKING WITH? The students are in kindergarten through 12th grade. You can select the school level (elementary, middle, or high school) with which you are most comfortable working.

WILL I BE WORKING ONE-ON-ONE WITH A STUDENT? Yes. The Hub is unique in that we keep a student to tutor ratio of 1:1. We will match you with a student who you can work with on a weekly basis.

IS THE TUTORING SCHEDULE FLEXIBLE? You will be able to schedule your tutoring time to work with your schedule and the family’s schedule. It is usually after school and sometimes later in the afternoon or even weekends.

HOW LONG IS MY COMMITMENT? We ask for a minimum commitment of one semester. Some of our tutors develop a bond with their student and work with them for the entire school year. The commitment will vary, depending on the student’s needs and your availability.

WHERE DOES THE TUTORING TAKE PLACE? Currently, all tutoring is virtual via Zoom or Google Meet.

WHAT WILL I BE WORKING ON WITH THE STUDENT? Typical things tutors work on with their student may include homework, reading, math skills, organization, study skills, building self-esteem, and overall mentoring.

CAN I CONNECT WITH OTHER TUTORS? Yes, we host monthly online sessions where tutors can join together to ask questions and hear advice and success stories from other tutors.

CAN I GET SERVICE HOURS TO MEET HIGH SCHOOL REQUIREMENTS? Yes, we will be happy to sign off on the hours you work as a tutor with the student.

DO I NEED A BACKGROUND CHECK? All applicants 18 and older are required to complete the PUSD Volunteer screening process before they will be assigned to work with a student. All prospective tutors will also need to provide two personal references.

WHEN CAN I START? Needs present themselves throughout the school year, so anytime is a good time to apply!

Tutor Training info

The primary objectives of our volunteer training are to confirm the commitment of the volunteer, establish the basic parameters of the program, and to prepare the volunteers for our expectations of the volunteering experience. 

Volunteers should keep in mind that these tutoring interactions should be student-centered. Even though students will ask volunteers about their lives and their opinions, it’s best to keep the focus mostly on the student and their homework and school-based projects.

These conversations should also support the idea that asking for help is normal (and fun!). The ability to ask questions and receive help without feeling stigmatized is a key ingredient in how a student may approach their future academic life and even their career. Tutors should emphasize the joy in asking, in answering, and in working and learning together.

Remember that a student’s parents and teachers are to be honored always, even if what you hear sounds disagreeable. 

This means that even if you dislike “common core math” it’s not your place as a tutor to weigh in on that; it’s your job to roll up your sleeves with the student and figure it out together. 

Finally, the best tutoring sessions are a great series of questions and answers. Tutors should be trained not to provide the answers but to urge students forward when they develop their own solutions to the problems presented in their assignments. Asking “Why do you think so?” and “How does that work?” gets students thinking. Saying, “Let’s look back at your teacher’s instructions,” or, “The textbook should tell us more,” helps center the conversation so the student has the best chance of getting their homework done independently with a tutor’s caring support.

We wish you success in your work and a meaningful volunteer experience! 

Application Forms

Student Tutoring Request Form

If you are the parent/guardian of a PUSD student that would benefit from tutoring, please fill out the Application form. We will review the request and respond to you via email within 5 working days.

Volunteer Tutor Application

If you are an a PUSD high school student or an adult volunteer in the Pleasanton community and would like to tutor elementary, middle or high school students in Math, Science, Language Arts (reading & writing) or Social Sciences, fill out the application and indicate your subject(s) of interest and availability. We will review your application and respond to you via email within 5 working days.

LINKS

• PTA Waiver

• PUSD Volunteer Clearance Form  

• How to use Zoom for remote learning

• Using virtual backgrounds in Zoom

• Mandated Reporter General Training

Contact US

• Beth McCarthy at volunteerhub@pleasantonpta.org