To The Haldimand Press
DUNNVILLE—To help elementary students catch up after the pandemic, the Youth Impact Centre in Dunnville has been busy tutoring students on a weekly basis.
The program started with the assistance of a retired teacher and retired educational assistant, but soon the demand became greater than what the Youth Impact Centre could meet. Therefore, a call went out to the local high schools, Dunnville Secondary School and Smithville Christian High School, to see if there would be any senior students who would be willing to come alongside younger students, helping them in their academic journey.
Thankfully Taylor Smelser, Berkeley Harris, and Morgan Deklerk answered that call. Every week the tutors give their time to assist younger students in subjects like math, reading, English, and French.
But tutoring is so much more than just helping students learn – there is a connection that happens in this environment. One of the students told his mom that Thursdays are his favourite day of the week because that is the day he gets to come to the Youth Centre for his tutoring session.
What the tutors find the most rewarding is seeing the confidence grow in the students with whom they are working. They love the challenge of adjusting to the unique learning styles of different children and using different resources like workbooks, computer programs, flashcards, etc. to help keep a child’s attention and make learning more enjoyable. The tutoring program also gives high school students the opportunity to acquire their mandatory volunteer hours, so there are benefits to all.
Thanks to the generous donations of the community, the Impact Youth Centre can offer this service free of charge to the parents and grandparents of Haldimand County. Together we are fulfilling the mission statement of the centre, which is: Equipping Youth for Life’s Journey.
For more information on tutoring, or if you are a senior high school student who may be interested in becoming a tutor, please contact the Dunnville Youth Impact Centre 905-774-6233, or email david@dunnvilleyouthimpact.com. Also, if you are interested in financially supporting this program, please visit
youthimpactcentre.com.
