It Takes a Village

One of the biggest lessons of the past school year is that learning doesn’t just take place in the classroom. Students can, and do, learn wherever they are. The saying “It takes a village” acquires more meaning for St. Cloud Area School District 742 students as well as the greater St. Cloud community because of a new initiative called Around Cloud Tutors through United Way of Central Minnesota, Greater St. Cloud Development Corporation (GSDC), area colleges and universities and volunteer programs.

The mission of Around Cloud Tutors is to provide current St. Cloud Area, MN students with the help they need to excel academically through free, digital tutoring services.

Virtual community-wide tutoring was imagined during the shutdown of schools due to the pandemic in the spring of 2020.

“The idea … really stuck when some of our community employees and workplaces were identifying the need to have someone to support their kids while [they were] trying to work,” explains Director of Education Partnerships for United Way of Central Minnesota – Partner for Student Success Amy Trombley. “From there, Gail Cruikshank from GSDC brought a group of community people together in her role as facilitator: business folks, people from St. Cloud State, St. Cloud Technical College, St. John’s, St. Ben’s, Boys and Girls Club to talk about how to tackle this issue.”

“I reached out to our education and community partners,” says Cruikshank, talent director from GSDC, “to ask if they were interested in meeting to explore potential solutions. Everybody jumped right on board. They said, ‘Yes, let’s talk about this. Let’s figure this out. We can find a solution.'”

Trombley was aware of a similar tutoring model in Monticello, MN. She reached out and worked with the person who laid out the website platform there. The pair began work on a site for the St. Cloud Area, and the idea became a reality. It wasn’t long before volunteers began to come forward.

“Once they go onto that website as a student or a family member,” shares Trombley, “there is a tutorial video they can watch in English or in Somali. Then they figure out what they need help with: reading tutoring, math tutoring. Once they determine that, it shows a list of times that are available and different tutors that are available.”

The process to sign up is easy and simple. Select a tutor, describe on the form what the student needs assistance with and select a day and time. Once that is complete, families will receive a Zoom meeting link for the requested day and time.

Families are able to read short bios of the tutors to get a sense of familiarity before choosing a tutor. (All volunteers go through a background check.) Some families sign up their children just to have a consistent reading time with someone. It also helps break down transportation barriers for families. In addition, the Around Cloud Tutors site provides online resources for families.

Thus far, Around Cloud Tutors has supported 110 students with 40 volunteers available for students.

“Around Cloud Tutors is an impactful program made possible through community collaboration,” explains Amelia Barkley, program manager. “Not only are community connections being made through our students and tutors, but students are gaining confidence by learning in a safe space dedicated to their learning and growth.”

This upcoming fall, Around Cloud Tutors is mixing things up and turning the program into a hybrid model to meet all the needs of students. The goal is to have tutors who can be matched with students who are looking for a regular tutor as well as on-demand tutors available to students who need them. The village is at work!