Badger Volunteers – Tutoring & Mentoring Programs – Morgridge Center for Public Service

Badger Volunteers – Tutoring & Mentoring is a semester-long program (11-week commitment for MSCR sites during the academic year) that bridges connections between UW-Madison students and the needs of mentoring and tutoring programs in Madison and the surrounding areas. This unique partnership leverages the energy, skills, and dedication of college students to enhance educational and recreational experiences for local youth (and adults) by pairing our students with youth to engage in 1 to 10 hours of mentoring & tutoring per week. The program is designed to foster meaningful and consistent connections between community partners and students over the course of an entire semester.

We provide logistical support, transportation, training, and educational workshops for mentors & tutors in the program.

Students engage in a range of impactful activities, from tutoring and mentoring students to leading after-school programs and organizing community events. Mentors and tutors bring their academic expertise, creative ideas, and enthusiasm to support local educators and program coordinators, enriching the learning environment and fostering personal growth among students.

Badger Volunteers – Tutoring & Mentoring is open to all UW–Madison students (including graduate students) in any major and any interest! Opportunities are organized into two focus areas:

Madison Schools & Community Resources (MSCR) & Big Brothers Big Sisters
Literacy & Math Mentoring & Tutoring Programs

- United Way of Dane County, Schools of Hope (K-5) – literacy

Goodman Center *START Literacy Initiative (K-5) – literacy

Urban League, Schools of Hope (6-8) – literacy & math
Madison Education Partnership (6-8) – math
United Way of Dane County, Achievement Connections (9-10) – math
Literacy Network (adults) – literacy

If you are a Work Study eligible student, you could potentially be compensated for participating with one of our literacy or math programs. Mentors & tutors will need to go through an interview process with our community partners, except for our MSCR sites.

Gain practical experience, develop leadership skills, and make meaningful connections within the community, all while making a significant difference in the lives of young and older people. Empower the next generation and strengthen our local community TODAY!

CLICK HERE TO VIEW YOUR DASHBOARD

Badger Volunteers – Tutoring & Mentoring MSCR registration is now closed.

If this is your first time registering for Badger Volunteers, you’ll be asked to create a user account (using single sign-on with your NetID). Once that is complete, you should be able to peruse the listings of opportunities. It may take 5 to 10 minutes to access your subgroup after creating your account.

We are now seeking Badger Volunteers – Tutoring & Mentoring MSCR Team Leaders for fall 2024.

Once you make your BadgersEngage user account, you should be able to peruse the listings of opportunities to identify your top three opportunities you would like to apply to be team leader for.

Once you have your priority list, your second step is to fill out the Team Leader Application. You will see a section where it asks you to list your top three sites (name of event, day, and time).

MSCR After School

MSCR Afterschool ensures that K-5th grade students have access to a variety of fun, safe and inclusive educational, recreational and social activities at their school or neighborhood center

Touch the lives of a diverse group of lively, FUN, elementary students. Act as a positive role model while supervising (and playing with!) children grades K-5, assisting with recreation and enrichment projects, helping with homework, and tutoring basic math and reading. Play and informal social interactions are key components of volunteering!

Register for a site here.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Dane County is dedicated to empowering children to achieve their full potential by fostering strong, enduring one-on-one mentoring relationships across Madison and Dane County. With over 50 years of experience, we utilize research-based methods that have been continuously refined to ensure impactful outcomes. Prospective “Bigs” will be contacted and interviewed by BBBS professional staff for mentor consideration. If selected, “Bigs” will be assigned to one of three school sites (Hamilton MS; Wright MS; and One City Schools). We are seeking “Bigs” that can make a weekly commitment for an hour.

Register your interest here.

Literacy & Math Mentoring & Tutoring Programs

The following programs bring together UW–Madison students and community tutors to provide personalized mentoring and educational support to local K-12 students and adults:

United Way of Dane County, Schools of Hope (K-5) – literacy
Urban League, Schools of Hope (6-8) – literacy & math
Madison Education Partnership (6-8) – math
United Way of Dane County, Achievement Connections (9-10) – math
Literacy Network (adults) – literacy

Tutors in the Literacy & Math Mentoring & Tutoring cluster engage in small group and/or one-on-one sessions in literacy or math (algebra or geometry). Each week, tutors dedicate approximately two to four (or more) hours of their time. The sessions for K-12 youth are scheduled between 8:00 am and 4:30 pm, coinciding with the standard school hours. The times for Literacy Network are scheduled in two hour time blocks (i.e. 9-11am; 10-12pm; or 6-8pm) either in person or virtual, including some weekend options.

The consistent schedule establishes a mentorship where tutors and students can build positive relationships. Tutors receive a comprehensive orientation and ongoing training to ensure preparedness in the necessary skills and knowledge for leading effective sessions. This is a great opportunity for tutors to partner with local communities and join a successful team of mentors who engage students in learning.

These tutoring positions can be paid if you’re work study eligible only. Check your financial aid award letter for 24-25 to locate and confirm your allocation.

Goodman Center’s *START Literacy Initiative

The *START Residency is a semester-long intergenerational tutoring model that pairs small teams of adults with elementary youth to improve the young person’s reading skills. Each student is given an exclusive support team that tracks their progress and works through each activity based on the student’s specific reading needs and goals.

All tutors receive five weeks of training in an evidence-based *Science of Reading curriculum, facilitated by Goodman Literacy Specialist, Iris Patterson. Tutors are given toolboxes of activities and resources to use over the 8-week tutoring sessions. Tutors also receive continued support from each other and the program leaders.

Goodman Center Elementary Literacy Tutor

Volunteer Literacy Residency/ Tutor Sign-up webpage.

For More Information: Iris Patterson (608)204-8014 OR ipatterson@goodmancenter.org

Schools of Hope Elementary is a partnership between United Way of Dane County, AmeriCorps, Madison Metropolitan School District, Sun Prairie Area School District, and the Morgridge Center for Public Service.

Its mission iso work with school staff to provide literacy tutoring support aimed at improving the academic achievement of kindergarten through fifth-grade students. The program serves elementary school students in Madison and Sun Prairie, Wisconsin.

Schools of Hope Elementary Literacy Tutor

For More Information: (608)441-7895 OR tutor@schoolsofhope.org

Schools of Hope middle school is a partnership between Urban League of Greater Madison, AmeriCorps, Madison Metropolitan School District, Sun Prairie Area School District, and the Morgridge Center for Public Service.

Schools of Hope provides one-on-one and small group literacy and mathematics tutoring, helping students improve their academic performance and readiness for high school, college, and career. As a key part of the United Way of Dane County’s Agenda for Change, the Schools of Hope program is operated by the Urban League in 12 middle schools in the Madison, Oregon, and Sun Prairie school districts.

Schools of Hope Middle School Work Study Tutor

For More Information: (608)729-1226 OR volunteer@ulgm.org

Madison Education Partnership middle school is between the Madison Education Partnership, Madison Metropolitan School District, and the Morgridge Center for Public Service.

MEP is partnering with MMSD’s Secondary Programs and Pathways; Engagement, Diversity Equity, and Inclusion; and Research, Assessment & Improvement (RAI) teams and UW-Madison partners to develop, implement, and evaluate a tutoring intervention focused on middle school math. We will pilot this in 2024-25 at Sherman Middle School.

Madison Education Partnership Math Tutor

For More Information: volunteer@achievementconnections.org OR ac@morgridge.wisc.edu

Achievement Connections is a partnership between United Way of Dane County, AmeriCorps, Madison Metropolitan School District, Middleton Cross Plains Area School District, and the Morgridge Center for Public Service.

We train and place math tutors in supervised tutoring centers across five Madison-Area high schools. Each school has its own AmeriCorps members, supported by a team of volunteers and school staff, working closely with math teachers to wrap around the content and methods they use in class.

Achievement Connections Lead Math Tutor

For More Information: karl.johnson@uwdc.org OR ac@morgridge.wisc.edu

This is a partnership with the Literacy Network.

We are hiring fall semester interns ($15/HR) to support our ESL tutoring program. Interns help adult immigrants and refugees improve English and literacy skills. Interns grow skills in lesson planning, teaching, interpersonal communication, and project management through mentorship and training.

Learn more and apply online by July 21.

Literacy Network Fall Intern

For More Information: Jill Stendahl (608)268-6813 or jill@litnetwork.org

Literacy and Math Mentoring & Tutoring Program Continued Learning

Reflection is a large part of service-learning. Volunteer tutors are recommended to complete pre, during, and post-service reflection. You can think about these prompts before entering a session or keep an on-going journal. Reflection facilitates the understanding that service is more than just logging hours.

Benefits of Service-Learning Reflection

A better understanding and evaluation of your experience
Improvement of future performance
Strengths and weaknesses can be recognized and addressed
Expansion of understanding and perspective of the world
Better preparedness to utilize this experience and what you learned for future interviews
If you share your experiences/reflection, it allows this program to evolve and grow

Pre-Service Reflection

What are your expectations for the service-learning project?
What do you hope to accomplish?
What do you expect to learn?
What community needs does your program address? Why do these needs exist in our community?
What are you most nervous/excited about?

During Service Reflection

Why does your program exist?
How do you feel about the work you are doing?
What difference does your service make to this program?
What difference does your service make to the Dane County community?
Is this experience what you thought it would be? If not, how does it differ?
What is the most difficult or satisfying part of your work? Why?

Post-Service Reflection

Go back to what you thought in your pre-service reflection: how have your responses changed?
Was your experience what you thought it would be? What was most surprising? What was the most challenging?
What did you learn about others from this experience? What did you learn about yourself?
What did you learn from the disappointments or the successes?
What specific skills did you use? What new skills did you learn?
What impact did this experience have on you?
How have environmental and social conditions affected the students served by your program?
Do you believe that your service made a difference? Why or why not?
What did you do that seemed effective? What did you do that seemed ineffective?
What community problems did you become aware of as a result of your volunteer tutoring? What can you do about these problems?
How were your values expressed through your work with your program?
What types of situations made you feel uncomfortable when you were volunteering with your program? Why was that the case?
How has your opinion of the students of Dane County changed as a result of your service-learning experience?
Do you want to continue your involvement with your program? If yes, why? If no, why not?
Complete this sentence: “Because of my service-learning experience, I am …”

Education Session Theme

Workshops focus on themes of identity development, intersectionality, anti-oppression, asset-based community development and pathways of civic engagement.
We recommend you attend one of these workshops after attending your New Tutor Orientation but before you are matched with a student.

How to Register and Attend Sessions

Internal sessions are planned by the MCPS Community Engagement Team. You can register for an internal education session via a qualtrics link sent out by the Campus Recruiter at the beginning of the semester.

Your attendance will be tracked by the completion of the Reflection Form.

Buddy System

A voluntary circle of new volunteers and returning volunteers where new tutors are matched with a returning tutor. The returning tutor will help answer questions based on their own tutoring experiences and guide the new tutor towards reaching their full potential within our program.
If you are interested in participating in the Achievement Connection Buddy System please reach out to the Achievement Connections Campus Recruiter.

More Information and FAQs

Connect
You can sign up to receive Morgridge Mail, our weekly newsletter which includes volunteer opportunities, events, jobs and internships.

Can I get paid?

Some of these programs are a Work-Study eligible program. Federal Work-Study is not a grant or loan but a portion of your Financial Aid package that is set aside for you to earn at a job. You can learn if you are eligible for a Work-Study program by viewing your Financial Aid package in your Student Center.

Part-time AmeriCorps positions can be available to interested parties. Qualified individuals will receive a bi-weekly stipend (not hourly) and after the completion of the required number of hours, can be eligible for an education award.

United Way of Dane County’s Schools of Hope
Urban League of Greater Madison’s Schools of Hope
United Way of Dane County’s Achievement Connections

Both of these options require in-person tutoring and a greater hour commitment than our volunteer positions. If you are interested in pursuing either of these options please contact the Achievement Connection Campus Recruiter and specify which option you are interested in.

We always accept volunteers if neither of these “paid” options works for you.

How do I get to my school site?

The Morgridge Center for Public Service provides logistical support, including transportation. Mentors & tutors can walk, use their ASM-provided city bus pass, or sign up for a BCycle membership paid for by Morgridge Center.

If a school site is over a 35-minute bus ride, the Morgridge Center will provide transportation via Lyft, ZipCar, Union Cab, and UW fleet vehicles. Please note, the time listed for volunteer hours does not account for transportation to and from the site. Make sure your schedule can accommodate time before and after your shift.

Please reach out to the Literacy Programs Student Intern with any questions or concerns.