McDonald's, library offer space for math homework assistance

Burgers, fries and math homework help is a combo option twice a week at McDonald's locations in Bloomington and Ellettsville. \nFrom 7-9 p.m. each Tuesday and Wednesday, middle and high school students can receive math homework help at the Ellettsville McDonald's or the Bloomington McDonald's at 2910 W. Third St. \nStudents can also receive help from 7-9 p.m. Mondays at the Monroe County Public Library, 303 E. Kirkwood Ave.\nThe program is just one of many tutoring sites in the Bloomington area. Jim Provenzale, South-Central Indiana's Twenty-first Century Scholars coordinator, said the number of after- or out-of-school homework help programs is rapidly increasing. State-funded tutoring programs are popular with the government, which is looking for new ways to improve student performance.\nIU students and community volunteers have helped teenagers at the restaurant in the "Math Help for Teens" tutoring program for more than 10 years. The Monroe County Public Library, the Monroe County Community School Corporation, the Monroe County Educator's Association and McDonald's sponsor the program.\nGenerally "A" and "B" students who work hard in school but are not as strong in math attend the sessions, said Dana Burton, youth services librarian. But she said a variety of students with different educational abilities attend. The program's biggest problem is students who do not come because they do not want to be seen getting help. \nBloomington High Schools North and South have after-school tutoring programs. \nRachel Nichols, a Bloomington High School North English teacher and an academic adviser for Twenty-first Century Scholars, stays after school Wednesdays to advise a study table offered since November. \nThe volunteer tutors consist of other North students and IU students. She said the majority of IU volunteers are School of Public and Environmental Affairs graduates. Twenty-first Century Scholars sponsors the study table through funds it receives from the state. The group provides food and rides home. \nNichols said she believes it is helping. The high school encourages its students to attend the table through morning announcements, bulletin boards and teacher recommendations to struggling students.\n"I've been really impressed with how the study table's grown and how the kids come in and are willing to work and work hard. They get individual attention that makes a tremendous difference," she said.\nVicky Schroeder, latchkey program contact for the Indiana Department of Education, Twenty-first Century Community Learning Centers program, said an Indiana "latchkey" law requires school corporations to offer an after-school program for grades K-6. \nThe Community Learning Centers program is the nation's fastest growing federal program. The program awards grants to school corporations working with community organizations to provide and expand learning opportunities. The government has 400 new grant awards this year, with a record $8.5 million allotted for the program. \nRoughly eight to 15 students are at the library Mondays, Burton said. She said she believes the program is successful because it has been going on for more than 10 years and because of high student participation.\n"We're so lucky to have both community and IU students wanting to volunteer in the program," she said.\nBloomington resident Lara Trinkler, a 1996 IU graduate, has been tutoring in the program since 1997. \n"I guess now I just go because it's fun," she said.