MOTHERS TUTORING ACADEMY

Founded in 2013, MTA is a non-profit, an after-school education and community program, providing tutoring services for low-income K-12 students in St. Paul, Minnesota. As nearly 100% of students are from families who are originally from East Africa, the cultural and educational difference between their home countries and the U.S. education system has resulted in many entering schools behind in core subjects, with this gap only widening without the necessary support. It was disheartening to discover that many students at the MTA centers were significantly below their expected grade levels. Mothers Tutoring Academy (MTA) supports at-risk students from low-income communities, all of whom qualify for reduced lunch programs. These students often demonstrate persistent patterns of underachievement and social maladjustment in school, which can lead to their failure to complete high school or an increased risk of dropping out at an early stage due to academic challenges and various other issues. Upon their arrival in the United States, these students are classified as at-risk due to several factors that may hinder their ability to graduate from high school, develop work skills, and become productive members of society. Common characteristics among these students include similar socioeconomic status and ethnic backgrounds. They often face personal challenges and exhibit school-related factors that result in underperformance on academic assessments, standardized tests, and overall academic achievement goals. Schools typically place students in classes based on age, promoting them annually regardless of skill proficiency. The issue is further complicated by newly migrated students who are placed according to age rather than performance. These students face steep barriers to academic success, including limited English proficiency, cultural dislocation, economic hardship, and systemic deficiency in education attainment. MTA provides educational programming in a culturally sensitive manner in math, science, reading and speaking to bring these children up to speed in their courses. Not only do these activities provide the resources necessary for students to increase their academic performance, but it establishes a foundation for students to assimilate to their communities in the long-term. As a trusted community institution, MTA plays a vital role in building a pathway to long-term educational and economic success for children and families. The programming is throughout the year except for the month usually right after the school break to help students and work to counteract the summer-break loss. MTA conducts assessment tests and reviews for every student during the first weeks of enrollment to the centers. Each student receives tailored tutoring, combining one-on-one and group sessions, scheduled to address missed classwork. The focus and effort are to provide academic support and culturally sensitive instruction to ensure students become academically successful and productive members of their communities in the long-term by increasing academic achievement in low-income communities. Annually, MTA aims to meet: 85% of program participants understand math, science, and reading and assessed at grade level or higher, 75% of students gain at least one level or higher in reading at the end of each school year. 25% incremental and quarterly increase in attendance 70% increase in families implementing reading and study skills at home. MTA advances economic mobility by preparing students for long-term academic achievement, which is a foundational pathway to stable employment and wealth-building. Our tutoring programs address critical gaps in reading, math, science, and English-language skills - all essential for success in higher education and the workforce. Many students start below grade level and face systemic barriers, leading to high dropout rates and long-term income gaps. We tackle this head-on through individualized academic support, peer mentoring, and youth leadership opportunities. In parallel, we provide robust family engagement to equip parents with the tools they need to support their children's education and engage in economic systems. The focus is on intergenerational support and community building, with alumni sometimes returning to volunteer or work as tutors, thereby contributing to ongoing economic empowerment. MTA was made for the community, by the community. Its position within community offers a unique opportunity to meet the educational needs of students in a holistic approach. The board and staff, mostly from community backgrounds, understand the cultural challenges students face. The programming has been tailored to meet these very specific needs. Additionally, the shared experience between the board, staff and community fosters an open, inclusive, and safe environment for the community to speak openly about their experiences and concerns. MTA has developed an inclusive program to enhance academic achievement in low-income communities by involving parents, families, the community, and the school to support its mission. Within brief period, we show positive results in terms of student overall performance, constructive behavior changes that demonstrate higher self- esteem and reassuring attitudes toward school and social interaction. The program engages with over 270 students annually and is based on four pillars designed to interact seamlessly. 1. Group and One-on-One Tutoring: MTA provides tutoring in reading, speaking, math and science. Each student receives an individualized education plan that incorporates both one-on-one and group tutoring. 2. Youth Development Youth programs promote growth beyond the classroom. These activities include youth groups, summer programs, essay competitions, and campus visits. Youth who participate in these programs have expressed emotionally secure feelings, a sense of belonging, improving relationships, and increased self-esteem. 3. Peer-to-Peer Mentoring MTA recognizes peer-to-peer mentoring as a strategy for supporting newly arrived students to succeed where an experienced student helps a less proficient student improve overall academic performance and provides advice, support, and knowledge to the mentee. 4. Parent and Community Support Meaningful parent involvement in education is a strong predictor of high student academic achievement. To encourage this, MTA holds monthly parent outreach and networking meetings to inform parents and families how to become familiar with US culture and the school system and its requirements. Through this wraparound approach, regular teachers, school management, and parents expressed that the students have demonstrated growing improvement and performance in terms of grades, behavior, and self-esteem, and have developed strong study skills. Besides tutoring and designing an individualized education plan for each student, MTA also encourages youth to use their voices by fostering a supportive and inclusive environment. To achieve this, the program incorporates culturally sensitive activities and discussions that allow participating youth to express their unique perspectives and experiences. Incorporating storytelling sessions, group discussions, and creative projects also provide platforms for youth to share their narratives and viewpoints. These activities include youth groups, summer programs, essay competitions and presentations, and campus visits. MTA prioritizes youth participants to have a transformative role in shaping the after-school program by fostering a sense of agency, leadership, and community engagement. Empowering youth to actively contribute to the program's design, decision-making processes, and activities allows them to take ownership of their experiences. Incorporating platforms for youth-led initiatives, such as organizing cultural events, workshops, or community projects, not only amplifies their voices but also celebrates their diverse backgrounds. By acknowledging and valuing the unique perspectives and talents of youth, the program creates a more inclusive and enriching environment.

An integral component of the tutoring program from its inception was to foster greater parental involvement and acknowledge that learning begins at home. Both parents and educators/tutors can make distinct contributions to enhance the educational process. Meaningful parental involvement in education is a strong predictor of high academic achievement among students. The objective is to establish a collaborative partnership where tutors, schoolteachers, and parents share expertise and responsibility to provide optimal education for children, with each party contributing unique strengths to the relationship. Mutual respect, long-term commitment to a variety of activities, and shared planning and decision-making responsibilities are essential components for true partnerships between parents and tutors. This partnership consistently yields positive outcomes for the students concerned. MTA mandates that our tutors maintain dependable, confidential, open, and honest relationships with parents. Additionally, MTA conducts monthly parent outreach and networking meetings to acquaint parents and families with the country's culture and customs, the school system, its structures, expectations, and legal requirements. The latter half of these meetings foster dialogue and networking among parents, enabling them to share stories, solutions, and resources. Program leaders engage parents to become involved in working and talking with their children to help them gain self-confidence and learn social skills for effective communication and how to express themselves. MTA acknowledges peer-to-peer mentoring (i.e. student-student) as an effective strategy for promoting the success of immigrant students. Peer mentoring fosters a role model relationship wherein a more experienced student assists a less experienced student in improving academic performance while offering guidance, support, and knowledge to the mentee. This mentoring approach has demonstrated positive impacts on student outcomes such as average GPA, credit earned, retention rates, and facilitates new students' adjustment and satisfaction with their educational environment. The peer-to-peer mentoring methodology nurtures a shared perspective among mentors and mentees. Peer mentors and mentees are more likely to have congruent views regarding how they understand and perform the student role compared to participants in adult tutoring/mentoring relationships. Variations in perspective affect the process of student identity acquisition, perceived mentor credibility, and the likelihood of mentees adhering to their mentors' advice. Peer mentors are recognized for their expertise, having previously succeeded in the roles that the mentees currently aspire to fulfill. The mentor exemplifies the role of a successful student by conveying their understanding of the school's expectations for students, alongside personal strategies they have utilized to effectively meet those expectations. This interaction cultivates a shared perspective on enacting the student role between the mentee and the peer mentor. Furthermore, due to the role modeling inherent in peer mentoring relationships, this approach proves more effective in mentoring students as mentees perceive peer mentors to be more credible. MTA confirms that student mentees who follow their mentor's advice tend to achieve greater success, thereby indicating that sharing a common perspective about assuming the student role is associated with improved learning and performance outcomes. The tutoring, parental involvement, peer-to-peer mentoring, and youth participation are integral components of the core curriculum and are accordingly budgeted. However, refreshments and related expenses for parent meetings and youth meetings are allocated a modest lump sum in the annual budget. Fortunately, parents contribute food and refreshments to these meetings, which helps to offset the costs. For instance, the meeting expenses are categorized as follows: $4,483 for Parent Outreach, $2,010 for Ramadan/Eid Expenses, and $1,360 for Administrative and Miscellaneous, totaling $7,853. The expenses for the 2025 core curriculum are calculated as $195,084 minus $7,853, resulting in a total of $187,231.