Bridging Gaps: Algebra Tutoring and Community Impact

Fall 2026 Volunteer Opportunity

Become a Community Engagement Math Mentor:

  • Attend one high school Algebra class each week.
  • The class will be the same day and time each week.
  • Including travel time, the commitment is about 2 hours per week.
  • We work around your schedule and that of the high school.
  • The fall schedule begins September 28 and runs until December 11, excluding URochester and RCSD breaks.
  • Tutor teams of 3-4 students will be formed.
  • Teams attend the Algebra class together to support the teacher and students.
  • Travel together by bus or car (if available)
  • All interested students are welcome! No experience or educational prerequisites required.

Still interested? Keep reading for more detailed information.

Description: Student volunteers will serve as mentors and tutors in algebra classrooms within the Rochester City School District. Through orientation, classroom engagement, and reflective seminars, participants will contribute to student success in Algebra, explore the broader contexts of education, and develop their own sense of agency as community members.

Learning Experiences:

  • Student volunteers will explore the cultural, social, and economic contexts that shape educational experiences. They will approach this work with humility, reflecting on their own biases, assumptions, and positionality throughout the program.
  • Student volunteers will reflect on their own mathematical identities and sense of agency as contributors to their community.
  • Student volunteers will enhance their knowledge of effective teaching strategies, including fostering conceptual understanding, promoting problem-solving skills, and encouraging a growth mindset.  

Commitment:

  • Preparation: approximately 5 hours per semester
  • Participate in one initial orientation event.
  • Participate in 2 learning sessions prior to beginning tutoring.
  • Classroom Engagement: approximately 2 hours per week
  • Attend one Algebra class per week, on the same day and same time each day.
  • Support the classroom teacher as needed, including but not limited to answering student questions and working with individual and small groups of students within the classroom.
  • Reflection: approximately 4 hours per semester
  • Participate in 3 reflective seminars through each academic semester.

Program Goals:

  • Engage and challenge students in Algebra classrooms within the Rochester City School District.
  • Support the development of positive mathematical identities and strengthen students’ sense of mathematical agency.
  • Increase student success on the NYS Algebra Regents Exam.

Click here to sign up for an information session and meet other interested students.