The Saturday Tutoring Program:
Celebrating Relationships in Our 25th Year
We are honored to have you share in the celebration of The Saturday Tutoring Program's 25th anniversary! Over
the years, the program has helped many students and tutors and has provided many benefits we never expected.
For example, it has helped to enhance our local neighbors' knowledge and appreciation of the Church of the
Covenant. When the tutoring program has been publicized, Covenant has been seen as a congregation that cares
about kids and the future of Cleveland. The program has become well-known locally and nationally, and
Covenant leads the way for other congregations seeking advice on starting similar programs.
But perhaps the most important by-product of the program has been the lasting relationships that have been
formed. Covenant members and tutors have gotten to know each other while working together on a project of
mutual interest. How can we foster more of that in other programs of the church?
What other activities have tutors already done?
The Saturday Tutoring Program provides a very "hands-on" activity.
Many people--especially young adults--are drawn to a church because
they want to DO something to make a difference in the community and in
the world. If they are involved in tutoring, they may be interested in other
activities, too, if they know about the opportunities.
Tutors have already joined Covenant's handbell choir, maintained the
tutoring program's social media sites, coordinated tutoring events such as
Halloween activities, an Easter egg hunt, and a Cleveland Institute of
Music concert. One volunteer from the community has been the tutoring
program's director for 24 years.
Who are the tutors?
They are college students, high school students, and adults who are active
in community organizations. They are of diverse ages (ranging from
about 17 to 80+), and they come from varied cultural backgrounds from
all around the globe. They bring a wide range of interests and
occupations.
Last spring, about 370 volunteers participated in The Saturday Tutoring Program. That number, almost the size of
our congregation (400 members), represents a pool of talented, motivated adults that remains largely underutilized
by our congregation.
What else could tutors do?
Imagine if they chose to attend a music concert or adult forum, to work with Habitat for Humanity or the Cache, or
to lead a Covenant Classics luncheon. They may be willing to work on various
committees, if the needs were made known to them.
A first step may be telling tutors more about other hands-on opportunities that are
available at Covenant. For instance, to encourage tutors to get involved in new
activities, we could post flyers, add an announcement to our weekly tutoring
e-mail, or provide video previews.
Think about ways that your group could benefit from connecting with tutors who
want to DO more. How could they help us to provide service to the larger
community? How could their presence inspire us? Relationships are built while
and when we are working together on a project!
Share your ideas with the program
director, Linda Wilson (SaturdayTutoring@gmail.com or 216-421-0482 x 281) or the
program's advisory committee chair, Louise Steele (LM.Steele@yahoo.com).
Back to News
