Tutoring program adds 2 new schools

Penn will increase its presence in West Philadelphia this fall with the introduction of two more after-school tutoring programs.

The Community School Student Partnerships, a student-run group that provides after-school activities at several nearby West Philadelphia schools, is expanding its work to two more elementary schools this fall.

The programming, which began as the Sayre-Beacon After-School Program several years ago, combines recreation, mentoring and academic support and will run at six local schools this year.

Two of those schools, Comegys and Wilson elementary schools, will be hosting programs for the first time.

At both of these schools, about 100 students will participate in a mix of intensive tutoring and activities ranging from basketball to music lessons, Jamie Tomczuk, associate director of CSSP, said.

Programming is led by Penn students and the variety of activities depends on the individual talents of the volunteers and work-study students leading the activities.

After solidifying its presence as a hub in the Sayre community, the group decided to start working with other area schools because they "wanted to expand this community model [where students] have a community after school," CSSP's executive director, College senior Blanchard Diavua, said.

The addition of Comegys and Wilson comes a year after CSSP started programs at four other schools.

"Last year was . a building year, and this year is more of a stabilizing year," Tomczuk said.

With the recent expansion, CSSP has run into a few growing pains along the way.

More sites means more tutors, Tomczuk said, and though the group - which currently has about 100 steady Penn students tutoring and mentoring - hasn't set a definitive target for recruitment, Tomczuk said that doubling in size "would be optimal for the program."

And finding transportation could hamper the growth of the fledgling programs.

"Currently, we rent a couple of vans from the Civic House . but it's not nearly enough," Diavua said.

"The transportation does have the potential of slowing down our work there if there isn't sufficient transportation because it's our priority to make sure Penn students are safe," Chris Bower, director of community schools for the Netter Center, said. Bower and the Netter Center work closely with CSSP to secure grant funding for the programming.

Bower added that the group is "constantly in negotiation" with the University to find ways to shuttle Penn students to the sites.

Despite the difficulties, CSSP is excited to have the chance to reach out to more students and raise the group's profile on campus.

"I'm really happy about the expansion," College junior Mary-Charlotte Borgen, a tutor with the program said.

"It's such a great way to get Penn students more involved with the community."

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