Virtual K-12 Tutoring Now Offered to UK Employees’ Children Through End of School Year
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Jan. 27, 2020) — As a University of Kentucky employee, if you have school-age children, you can now sign them up for a virtual tutoring service with a UK student at no cost to you.
To support working parents, Human Resources developed Big Blue Virtual Tutoring in partnership with the College of Education through the Federal Work-Study program.
Big Blue Virtual Tutoring intends to help parents with school-age children who are participating in virtual learning due to COVID-19. This is a temporary service offered at no cost to UK employees through May 2021 when the K-12 school year ends.
Tutors offer instruction in a variety of subjects for students in grades K-12. All tutors have completed a screening interview and a background check.
Big Blue Virtual Tutoring is a referral service that matches UK student tutors with UK parent requests. This service does not guarantee a tutor match, but every effort will be made to make a referral. Once a referral is made, tutors and parents coordinate on scheduling tutoring sessions for the child. Tutoring takes place online with a link provided by the tutor.
To address continued uncertainty about learning modality in K-12 schools for the spring, HR developed the idea for this service after hearing concerns from employees with children and a listening tour with deans and academic leaders. HR Manager of Work-Life Azetta Beatty also surveyed UK employees in the working parents network and saw high interest specifically in a virtual tutoring service.
“So many parents want to see their children succeed, but this time of virtual learning stretched over many months is a challenge,” Beatty said. “Some parents can use some additional support, and we hope Big Blue Virtual Tutoring will support parents who want to see their children succeed in school but simply don’t have the time or resources to assist them with schoolwork.”
Interested parents are invited to sign up now to be matched with a one-on-one virtual tutor using the Big Blue Virtual Tutoring form. Those who sign up may receive a referral to a tutor, if a match is available, as soon as early February. There is no deadline to sign up and referrals will continue in the following months.
*Requests for virtual K-12 tutoring referrals are currently closed. To learn why, click here.*
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