Forward Scholars

Children all over the country have fallen behind because of the pandemic. You can help a first, second, or third-grade child build their reading skills through 1-to-1 tutoring with Forward Scholars. This Common Ground initiative has trained over a hundred volunteer tutors — six from St. Mark’s — to meet with students in MPS schools. St. Mark’s is a member organization of Common Ground, a social change organization of more than 40 churches, neighborhood organizations, labor unions, and businesses.

Tutors do not need a background in education — only a heart for seeing children succeed! Our tutors

• Meet with the same student for the entire school year;
• Tutor twice each week for an hour (including prep time);
• Receive an individualized, detailed lesson plan and materials;
• Work with support from a coordinator in the same room who can guide and answer questions.

You can join us in making a difference! Many of our members have partnered with Common Ground’s Forward Scholars program to serve as individual reading tutors for MPS students in grades K5-3 who are not yet reading at grade level. Volunteer tutors receive training as well as ongoing support.