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How To Use This Site
We have arranged the site so you can start on the front page and using the links at the bottom of each page, work your way through all the information. We have provided a checklist at the end so you can make sure you covered everything.
This site is meant to be a starting ground for the ongoing process of becoming a skilled educator and mentor. Use it as a reference, discuss topics raised with others but also seek outside resources. If you have questions or comments about anything feel free to email urrcsd@yahoo.com which
will be read by Nora and Katie (creators of this site).
Who created this site and why?
We (Katie Fox-Boyd and Nora Burton) created this site in the Spring
of 2006 for our senior project in anthropology. Our website addresses a
University need for an established and accessible tutoring training program,
specifically focusing on working with Rochester city youth. Through both
of our experiences as leaders of University of Rochester (UR) run tutoring
programs, we have come to the realization there is neither training available
nor an existing body of materials available to prepare UR students to work
with urban youth. In addition, the tutors we worked with expressed that
they felt the need for more thorough preparation for their work, specifically
focusing on working in an urban environment facing issues of poverty, violence,
under funded schools, and other issues related to this demographic. Many
of the UR tutors come from suburban middle- to upper-class backgrounds
and may not be aware of the issues the students they work with face on
a daily basis. The tutors expressed that they felt they were not being
as positively effective as they could be if they had a greater comfort
level based on having a better understanding and body of knowledge about
the culture and educational backgrounds of the students they worked with.In
addition to training for the tutors, our website works to provide a basis
for communication and coordination between the numerous tutoring groups
on campus.
Through the course of a semester:
- We interviewed staff at the Rochester Center for Community Leadership, the Community Service Network, ROOTS, Cameron Community Ministries, Nazareth College Partners in Learning and University of Rochester's anthropology department.
- We solicited and received input from Monroe Community College, Rochester City School District staff and Roberts Wesleyan, amongst others.
- We created, distributed and analyzed a survey related to UR tutors' needs.
- We attended discussions and speeches related to urban education (ROOTS Cultural Competency Training, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 3/06; Anthropology of Education Panel, SFAA Conference, Vancouver, B.C., 3/06; Jonathan Kozol, East High, Rochester, NY 3/27/06; Education Panel, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 4/4/06).
- We researched, amongst other things, the history of tutoring at UR; Rochester, NY demographics; tutoring and mentoring strategies; educational policies and debates; curriculum standards; cross-cultural communication and competency.
We believe that it is the University community's social responsibility to not only be involved with Rochester city schools, but also to be prepared to work effectively in Rochester city schools and with their students. Through this website, we hope to contribute a holistic preparation resource for all UR students involved in tutoring and mentoring.
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