Our Tutoring Program
Connect Kids provides free one-on-one tutoring to school students on the Sunshine Coast.
what’s the tutoring Program all about?
For a number of years now our brilliant volunteers and donors have allowed us to support over 50 disadvantaged young people on the Sunshine Coast with positive role models, who help to open their minds to their true potential as individuals. Now, the Connect Kids Tutoring Program will make equivalent strides in the domain of education. Kids in need of support will be partnered with a university student volunteer to help with homework and other academic needs.
In the program, children have one-on-one hourlong sessions with tutors at local libraries and community centres once a week throughout the school year. Kids will be placed with the same tutor throughout the year, helping to foster both a respectful learning environment, as well as a secondary mentoring relationship. The program will focus on assisting kids with mathematics, english and science.
Time and time again education has been identified as the great leveller of societal disadvantage, in the absence of adequate educational opportunity social mobility is a difficult task. In adding an educational component to Connect Kids we hope to tackle this significant issue, catching children before they disengage from the school system and providing them with the confidence to further their own education, and eventually, their career.
Volunteering to be a mentor or tutor is as simple as filling out the application form linked below. We’ll be in touch, organise blue cards etc, and if, after that chat, you are keen to proceed, we’ll do an induction to give you the background around what’s expected of you and then you’re away!
Our mentors often tell us, “I did this because I wanted to help a child, I didn’t realise the huge benefits I would get out of this personally”.
If you think your child or a child you know may be appropriate for this program, please register them below.
benefits of Tutoring
There is a significant body of research that highlights the positive impact of education on disadvantaged children in Australia. Here are some key statistics and outcomes:
Improved Academic Performance
According to a report by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), disadvantaged students who attend high-quality preschool programs are more likely to have higher levels of academic achievement, better social skills, and better health outcomes. Additionally, the report found that students who attend schools with lower socio-economic status (SES) tend to perform worse academically, but this gap can be narrowed with effective teaching practices and targeted interventions.
Increased Earning Potential
Research has shown that education can have a significant impact on a person's earning potential. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, people with higher levels of education tend to earn more than those with lower levels of education. In 2020, the median weekly earnings for someone with a bachelor's degree or higher was $1,750, compared to $1,125 for someone with no post-school qualifications.
improved social & emotional well-being
Disadvantaged children who receive a quality education are more likely to have better mental health outcomes, increased self-esteem, and greater social mobility. According to a report by the Mitchell Institute, young people who drop out of school are more likely to experience poor health outcomes, unemployment, and social exclusion.
Reduced Crime Rates
Education has been shown to have a positive impact on reducing crime rates. According to a report by the Productivity Commission, higher levels of education are associated with lower rates of criminal activity. The report found that increasing the educational attainment of young people can lead to a reduction in crime and imprisonment rates.
Improved Economic Outcomes
Education is essential for economic growth and development. According to a report by the Grattan Institute, a better-educated population leads to higher productivity, greater innovation, and higher living standards. The report found that if Australia's education system could improve the educational outcomes of disadvantaged students to the level of the highest-performing countries, the country's GDP could increase by up to $315 billion.