The University of Pennsylvania's Graduate School of Education and tutoring company Thinkist have launched the Rural Pathways to Success Peer Tutor Program, which seeks to increase the number of students from rural districts who pursue further education after high school.

Supported by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education, the program offers high school students in grades 10 to 12 with at least a B average in their current math class the opportunity to receive training as peer tutors at no cost to families. The peer tutors engage in ongoing training while they assist middle and high school students who are struggling with math.

The program's broader objective is to inspire students in rural areas of Pennsylvania to pursue further education and careers in teaching, fostering a cycle of educational motivation and achievement as well as building the teacher pipeline. Participants in the tutor training program not only gain tutoring experience, but they also earn college credits and a certificate upon completing the program.

The fall session is scheduled to begin in mid-October, but youths who would like to receive tutoring may enroll through the end of October. The fall session will end on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025.

Registrations are also being accepted for students who would like to participate either as tutees or tutors during the spring session, which will run from Monday, March 3, to Sunday, June 1. The registration deadlines are Monday, Feb. 10, for tutors and Saturday, March 15, for tutees.

A limited number of spots are available. For more information, visit https://pln.gse.upenn.edu/peer-tutor-training-program.