Youth from low income communities in Alberta need free and safe access to virtual one-on-one tutoring right now.
The rise in for-profit virtual tutoring services in response to COVID-19 excludes at-risk students and exacerbates systemic inequalities in education[1]. Low income Canadian children are four to six times more likely to repeat a grade[2] and 30% less likely to complete post-secondary studies[3]. BGCBigs Edmonton estimates 3000 local children could benefit from personal academic coaching.
[1]Nearly one-fifth of Canadian children live in poverty, but in some places as many as one-third of African-American children and more than one-half of Status First Nations children live in poverty. Source: UNICEF Report Card 16 Canadian Companion | September 2020
[2]OECD Canada Student performance (PISA 2018)
[3]Increasing Accessibility to Advanced Education for Under-Represented Albertans, A Discussion Document. July 2005.
How You Can Help
At-risk kids deserve quality and consistent tutoring relationships.
We Are Currently Recruiting:
- Tutors proficient in junior high and high school math and English
- Volunteers to supervise virtual group tutoring sessions
- Indigenous Education Experts and Knowledge Keepers
CLICK HERE if you’d like to volunteer in one of these roles!
The Volunteer Commitment
We’re here to make it easy for you to help a kid in need.
To ensure a safe and meaningful experience for all, we will:
- Help you get a criminal record and vulnerable sector check
- Provide one hour of anti-bias and tutoring best practice webinars
- Arrange six recurring one-hour tutoring sessions per academic term
- Provide academic resources
- Assist in providing feedback to parents
CLICK HERE if you’d like to volunteer with The Tutor Initiative
Our Mission
- Build a network of volunteer tutors to make free virtual tutoring more universally accessible.
- Strive toward more equitable out-of-school educational opportunities.
- Remind Canadians that is is OUR collective responsibility to address these barriers in education.
Meet Our Team
Kyle McKee
Co-founder, The Tutor Initiative
Originally from Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Kyle completed his undergraduate degree in Engineering Physics at the University of Alberta in 2020. During his time in Alberta, Kyle was President of a club whose main goal was to offer free tutoring to high school students, regardless of financial standing. He is currently pursuing graduate studies at MIT!
Margeaux Maron
Co-founder, The Tutor Initiative
Margeaux is a huge proponent of giving back to the community with her first major volunteer gig being a CFL cheerleader, then a fundraising event producer. Margeaux is on maternity leave from her gig at Global Edmonton, is an MBA candidate (2021) at the Alberta School of Business, and a proud mom to Cash and Calla.