PBHA’s Youth Prison Tutoring, part of PBHA’s Prison Education Program, is made up of a small, dedicated group of students seeking to provide one-on-one academic help to teenage boys (16-18) in Youth Centers. Volunteers travel by van once a week, either Monday or Thursday, and work with each student whatever they’d like to do. Tutors typically help students complete work for classes, strengthen basic reading, writing, and math skills, prepare for standardized tests, and/or explore extracurricular topics of interest. Whenever possible, we try to match up each tutor with a particular student in order to foster more long-term tutoring relationships. With all of the van ride bonding time included, a night of tutoring runs from about 6:15-8:30. If you’d like to learn more about why the Connelly program is the greatest ever, please contact Jake Sloane (jake7sloane@gmail.com) and Will Peck (pecko99@gmail.com).
PBHA’s Suffolk County Houses of Correction Program tutors male and female inmates at a medium security prison, supplementing their classroom work with individualized academic attention. We help inmates with reading (from sounding out words to discussing political theory), writing (from subject-verb agreement to effective prose), and math (from addition to calculus). We lead some computer use and occasionally offer special classes. The majority of the inmates need help at basic levels or at GED level. Tutors usually assist with homework from daytime classes, but may also design curricula on their own. Directors will gladly help to plan lessons and find materials for any tutor. The program runs Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays from 6:45 to 10:00 PM. Volunteers commit to one night per week. Tutors usually work with the same inmate each week, which makes dedication and attendance essential. The Suffolk House of Correction in South Boston houses about 1800 prisoners: 90% male; most between 21 and 30; most black or Latino; convicted of crimes carrying sentences of no more than 2 years each. We help our inmates build the skills necessary to get jobs and live as responsible citizens. For more information, please contact Peter Arnaboldi (arnabold@fas) or Daniela Nogueira (dnogueir@fas.harvard.edu)
PBHA’s Women’s Resource Center at the Boston Courthouse serves as the Suffolk Country Community Corrections Center for women transitioning from correction facilities into their communities under conditional pre-release status. Take an hour out of your week to work with the women on academics (primarily GED preparation such as arithmetic, reading, writing skills) or in searching for a job. With flexibility unlike many other programs, you will be matched carefully to a student and will be able to choose the tutoring time most amenable to your schedule. Classes run every weekday, primarily in the mornings and afternoons. Your student may still be in high school or may have graduated thirty years ago. Please contact Hana Ali (hana.ali@gmail.com).
