UMich Student Launches Free Online Tutoring Service

• Alina Bardwell, a sophomore from the University of Michigan, was inspired to become an online tutor when schools transitioned to online classes.
• She wanted to help low-income families in particular since they may not be able to afford the usual tutoring rates.
• So she enlisted the help of other UMich students to create a free online tutoring service called MiTutor.

A student from the University of Michigan has launched a free virtual tutoring service to help kids from low-income families.

Sophomore Alina Bardwell shared that she had plans to volunteer over the summer, but the pandemic made in-person volunteering activities impossible.

She was inspired to become an online tutor when most schools transitioned to online classes. This type of learning has been difficult for some kids, especially for low-income families. Their parents may not have the time to help them with school, and cannot afford the usual tutoring rates.

Alina told Mlive, “We all know that lower-income families have been hit harder than anyone by the pandemic. Some have lost their jobs, some have been forced to quit in order to help their kids with school, many are essential workers working long hours and cannot be home to help their kids with school.”

“We want to give back in the best, safest way we can: by helping their kids perform better in school for free,” she continued.

So, Alina promoted her free virtual tutoring services over the summer. She drove around the Ypsilanti area to hang posters containing her contact information.

It turns out that the demand for online tutors was high! Alina had to enlist a friend for help. It wasn’t long before they needed even more volunteers.

So, with the help of more than a dozen other UMich students, she launched a free online tutoring service called MiTutor.

They posted the details in a local Facebook group, where the demand grew even more. Over 40 parents expressed their interest.

The current student volunteers are trying their best to accommodate the demand. But as the program continues to expand, Alina hopes that there will be more available tutors to help out.

Source: sunny skyz