AACLC has set up a partnership with the Army Recruitment Centers in Annapolis and Glen Burnie to help their applicants pass the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) test; a prerequisite to enlist in the various branches of the Armed Forces including the Coast Guard and Police. Our tutors began preparing these applicants in high-school level Math, Science and English when the COVID-19 pandemic struck, shutting down our meeting locations including libraries and coffee shops. The only option left was to tutor students online.
Despite the shutdown and social distancing rules put in place for everyone’s safety, our volunteers have found ways to continue to help out-of-school adults pursue their dreams and further their education. They have been able to connect with their students once or twice a week to maintain continuity in their tutoring sessions. Video chat platforms such as FaceTime, Zoom or Google Hangouts have worked well to have a face-to-face conversation while homework and online resources are shared via email. GED tutor Susann Felton has begun tutoring her student Pernell Matthews, a young aspiring army recruit, via Zoom three to four times a week. They both have the same ASVAB textbook which makes it easier to communicate and share classwork and homework.
Pernell is very appreciative of the support he is receiving. His goal is to maximize his score to allow the best options when he enlists as soon as the quarantine is lifted. Pernell says, “Distance tutoring via Zoom is allowing me to maintain the pace and improve my knowledge base prior to taking the exam. I needed to brush up my math skills and increase my vocabulary. The discipline of tutoring is assuring both!”
