Each week, three young men take time out of their busy schedules to tutor children in foster care at Coyote Hill Foster Care Ministries. But as it turns out, it is way more than developing math skills.
Sam, Jake, and Devin are college students at the University of Missouri and are all a part of the Alpha Tau Omega (ATO) fraternity. They got involved with Coyote Hill Foster Care Ministries through their fraternity’s house mom, who passed on her passion for foster care to them. Each week, they come to Coyote Hill Foster Care Ministries and tutor a child one-on-one for an hour and a half.
“I like being a tutor because it gives me an opportunity to help a younger kid who’s had a much different life than me. Seeing the look on their faces after they start to develop an understanding of the material we’re working on always makes me happy,” said Jake. “I got very excited when my student finally got all of his flash cards correct; the smile on his face made my day.”
“The part I enjoy most about tutoring at Coyote Hill Foster Care Ministries is developing a relationship with the students. I’ve noticed over time my student has become more comfortable with me, and it’s allowed us to improve his math grade each week,” said Sam.
“My student was originally very discouraged because his first two assignments didn’t go well,” Sam continued. “But after two weeks of studying the material, he showed me a lot of dedication and improved his homework grade by two letter grades.”
As these Mizzou students help the kids improve their study skills and grades, they are also developing valuable mentoring relationships with them.
“It has been a blessing for the boys to be able to get one-on-one with adults and build healthy relationships,” said our Volunteer & Program Coordinator, Daisy Soto. “Sam, Jake, and Devin are a great fit for working with our kids because they are dedicated to being positive influences, and they are reliable. Our children need reliable adults to thrive.”
Stephanie, the foster mom of the children receiving tutoring, said, “The tutors are amazing! They show patience, encouragement, and kindness. They are always enthusiastic to help, and really promote and build confidence!”
Investing time in children in foster care is incredibly rewarding to both parties involved. Even though tutoring can be a lot of hard work, it can also be a whole lot of fun!
“My favorite part about being a tutor is when we are done with his schoolwork, we play basketball or soccer outside,” said Devin.
“Every moment has been special to me, whether we are baking cookies, studying, going on hikes, or playing basketball,” said Jake. “I’ve done a lot of volunteer work throughout my life with children, and I’ve enjoyed every second of it. I want to be the best role model possible to the kids.”
To learn more about how you can volunteer with us, visit coyotehill.org/waystohelp/volunteer.
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