A Rewarding Experience for Everyone
March 22, 2023
Every Saturday at the Huntington Public Library’s branch in Huntington Station, students come together to mentor and learn. Led by Woodhull Intermediate School teacher and Huntington alum Allison Von Vange, what started as three fifth graders and one high school helper has now blossomed into a group of 16 eager elementary and intermediate grade level youngsters mentored by five kind-hearted students of Huntington High School.
The idea for a teen-led tutoring and mentoring initiative came about after Ms. Von Vange witnessed several of her ENL students struggling to adapt to the classroom setting in a post-COVID world. She reached out to then-sophomore Charlotte Gordon, who couldn’t wait to connect with the children and start providing a bit of extra help.
The program was immediately termed a success, a result of Ms. Von Vange and Ms. Gordon’s weekly aid with math, science and reading assignments. The group even started a miniature book club, choosing to read “Heidi” by Johanna Spyri.
This winter, Ms. Von Vange decided to give the program another shot, with a fresh batch of students. Word-of-mouth led to increased interest and involvement, so much so the “dynamic duo” could no longer do everything themselves.
“As more and more kids started showing up, Ms. Von Vange and I realized that we’d have to adapt our services to a larger scale,” Ms. Gordon stated. “I reached out to my close friends, Rachel Learned and Lily Tierney, who were happy to help tutor. When students began bringing their friends and siblings and cousins, we realized that we’d need to branch out even further, so I got in touch with Jack Semelsberger and Kyra Scott, who I knew both loved children.”
Students and mentors alike have a blast every Saturday, spending the majority of time refining skills in reading and math. On alternating weeks, educational board games are also incorporated into the schedule, to ensure that the learning process remains fun and engaging. During the last half hour, students are given the opportunity to pick any book and spend the time reading aloud, in their preferred language, with one of the high school mentors. This reading period is Ms. Gordon’s favorite part of the afternoon.
“I love watching the children pick out their beautiful books,” Ms. Gordon said. “Seeing them so enthusiastic about reading truly warms my heart, as it makes me feel like I’m truly making a difference. Because I am currently enrolled in AP Spanish Language and Culture, having the opportunity to practice my second language is an added benefit.”
Ms. Gordon and Ms. Scott are both alums of Huntington UFSD’s dual language program, enabling them to incorporate both Spanish and English into their lessons. This maximizes the students' understanding of topics they struggle with and ensures they’re comfortable asking questions in either language.
Ms. Scott said she’s had a wonderful time tutoring. “I’m incredibly proud of all the kids we tutor and I look forward to continuing our progress,” the teenager added
The students themselves love coming to the library every week. “The library is my favorite part of Saturdays,” fifth grader Marianny Castillo said. “I love that Miss Charlotte helps me read!”
Fifth grader Oscar Benitez also looks forward to the weekend excursion. “Miss Lily is so nice to me and she helps me,” he said. “I love learning, reading books and having snacks!”
The high schoolers have been impacted just as much as the younger students. “I feel like this experience has really taught me how influential just a little bit of kindness can be to make learning easier and fun,” Ms. Tierney said. “It’s great to watch the kids find a love for reading and I’m so happy to be able to help them grow.”
Mr. Semelsberger shared those same sentiments. “My time tutoring with these students has been really eye-opening for me,” he said. “I’ve been able to see them start to grow in confidence in their ability and show off how truly smart they really are. I’m so proud to see them doing well and I’m very grateful that I get to influence a positive and fun learning environment for these wonderful students.”
Ms. Learned is happy to be a part of something so close to her heart. “Tutoring has brought out the best of me and I’m glad to be a part of it,” she said.
Ms. Von Vange remains in awe of how far everyone has come since tutoring began. “The students come to work on their reading and math skills, but they gain so much from working with the high schoolers,” she said. “I don’t know who has more fun; the kids doing the learning or the kids doing the tutoring. I suspect it’s a tie with all the smiles I see each week.”
The veteran teacher shared one of her dreams. “I always wanted to teach in a one-room schoolhouse,” Ms. Von Vange said “Every Saturday is like that at the library. Our youngest student is five years old and our mentors are 16 and 17 years old. High school kids helping intermediate kids; intermediate kids helping primary kids; it really is a sight to see!”
