CARBONDALE, Ill. — A free Summer Tutoring Camp is being offered at Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s School of Education to students in grades 3-8 from many area school districts through the Illinois Tutoring Initiative, and signup is now underway.
To register, contact the partner school your child attends before May 31. Or, use the online ITI summer camp registration form, email iti@siu.edu or call Jessica Madden, coordinator of SIU’s Illinois Tutoring Initiative, at 618-453-4224.
The camp runs from June 3 to July 31. Camp directors encourage parents to sign children up as soon as possible to assure they get a spot. Last year’s inaugural camp drew 45 enthusiastic participants, and even more interest is anticipated this year, they say.
The camp runs from 9-11 a.m. Monday through Friday at the Wham Educational Building with drop-off at 8:30 a.m. Students from the following Illinois Tutoring Initiative partner school districts are eligible to attend this summer learning experience, featuring high-impact math and reading tutoring presented in a fun, interactive format:
Officials note that the partner schools at Cobden, Giant City, Herrin, Meridian and Unity Point will be conducting camps at their local schools until the end of June and their students have the opportunity to enroll in SIU’s Summer Tutoring Camp for the remainder of the summer.
The same ITI team that tutors in SIU’s partner school districts during the school year will be tutoring during the camp. The team includes SIU graduate students, current and retired teachers, and community members. All are specifically trained in the principles and methods of high-impact tutoring.
There’s an emphasis on math and reading, but there will also be interactive games, crafts and design, storytelling and outdoor games, assuring campers have an enjoyable experience. Snacks are provided as well.
“This summer, we are also excited to be working with the SIU Imagination Lab, a wonderful addition to our School of Education,” said Janice Staab, ITI site supervisor. “Led by their tutors and the Imagination Lab coordinators, students will use their reading and math skills to research, design and build their own projects and put them to work. For instance, they might make ‘canjos,’ wooden cars with 3D-printed wheels the students design and various other age-appropriate engineering projects.”
The Illinois Tutoring Initiative is designed to support the learning and social/emotional well-being of students in the wake of the pandemic. It is supported by the Illinois State Board of Education, the Illinois Board of Higher Education and the Illinois Community College Board through federal COVID relief funding.
For more information about the camp, email iti@siu.edu or call Madden at 618-453-4224.
Media Contact: Christi Mathis, public information associate, 618-453-6707