Elsewhere on this blog, we’ve talked about how volunteer work is important for students, not only because it looks good on a college application, but also because it builds character and demonstrates passion, commitment, and empathy.
We think it’s important for ourselves and our tutors, too, for many of the same reasons. We know that when we hire a tutor who has significant volunteer experience, we’re bringing a dedicated and trustworthy mentor onto our staff.
Proving that their passion for education defines them, our tutors have worked with many related community service initiatives. You can read more about these on our individual tutors’ profiles, but here are some highlights!
Wyndy taught math, social studies, and English to middle school students at The Steppingstone Academy. This school helps students who are motivated but underserved gain acceptance to top schools in the greater Boston area.
Emily volunteers with B-SAFE in Dorchester, MA, which keeps students engaged in learning throughout the summer. She also tutors children at Christopher’s Haven, a non-profit that provides comfortable housing for families of children who come to Boston for cancer treatments.
Charles, who serves as our Tutor Coordinator, spent a decade as a Big Brother in Boston. As a result, he is always on the lookout for volunteer mentorship experience when reviewing potential tutor candidates!
Mentorship is also important to Elisabeth, who has been an active mentor for over two years through Mentor Connection in Newton, MA.
Lu, a standardized-test guru, has worked with Citizen Schools, a national organization dedicated to middle schoolers in low-income public schools. She also worked with Teach for America after college.
The Bard Prison Initiative offers the opportunity for incarcerated men and women to achieve an undergraduate degree from Bard College. Jovonne, a graduate school admissions consultant passionate about social justice, taught social studies and literature courses through this program.
Signet’s administrative staff also volunteers in Cambridge and New York. As individuals, we’ve worked with Graham and Parks schools and Breakthrough Cambridge, and as a company, we’ve given pro-bono support to schools and institutions in our Boston and New York communities. For more information on where our staff volunteers, please see our Community Service page.
