TYO Volunteers Support Children with Homework Help

Every Monday through Thursday, from 2 pm to 4 pm, children from our neighborhood of Khallet al-Amood come to the TYO center for help with their schoolwork. Six volunteers from local universities work with the children, ages 7 to 14, providing support in math, science, Arabic and English.

TYO first began offering Homework Help classes when parents stressed the difficulties they face in helping their children with schoolwork. Often, parents are unable to provide their children with educational support at home for various reasons. Most families in Nablus have more than five children and parents aren't always able to provide one-on-one support to them all. Additionally, the difficulty of the curricula sometimes prevents parents from assisting their children at home. Sometimes, in the worst cases, a child's parents are illiterate.

Unfortunately, the schools in Nablus do not offer tutoring services or academic after school services, leaving children to complete homework on their own. But when the support from home is so weak, many children find themselves confused, frustrated and unable to grasp concepts learned at school. TYO is able to fill this void by giving students a safe space to work with our university volunteers, to ask questions and to make mistakes and learn from them.

We are pleased that class is so successful this session! Averaging about 20 children a day, we have high attendance and our students are enthusiastic to come to our center. But the enthusiasm isn't just coming from the children. Mothers have approached us, thanking us for offering this class to their kids. Many say they worry less about their children's schoolwork and they notice that their children are taking more initiative to study at home by themselves.

-Ahmad

Ahmad is the Volunteer Coordinator.