Free tutoring service offered to active duty Airmen, families

  • Published
  • By 1st Lt. Brian Maguire
  • 436th AW Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  State and federal officials joined with leadership from the 436th Airlift Wing at the base library here to kick start awareness of a free online tutoring service available to active duty military members and their dependents.

Col. Manson Morris, 436th AW commander, Delaware Governor Jack Markell, Senator Tom Carper and George Cigale, chief executive officer of Tutor.com, spoke to students from Welch Elementary and Dover Air Base Middle schools, along with parents and other members of Team Dover, about the partnership between the Department of Defense and Tutor.com at an announcement event Oct. 28, 2010.

When connected to the site, users will get real-time feedback from a live tutor, with each session lasting as long as the user needs it to last, said Mr. Cigale.

When the free service was first offered to military families in January, approximately 100 students used it each night, said Mr. Cigale. "Last night, we had about 1,100 kids from military families connected to a live tutor."

Access to the tutoring service is free for active duty military members and their families, who can access the site 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The service is beneficial to all students, but especially military children whose parents are deployed.

"More than 10 percent of our military population is deployed all the time - gone somewhere, accomplishing something important," said Colonel Morris. "When those parents are on the road doing the nation's business, they can not always give their children the kind of support they need. This technology allows someone to sub in for the parents, who I know would want to be here to provide the help."

In addition to academic help for kindergarteners through high schoolers, the Department of Defense program includes tutoring and career help for adult learners.

"It's a great service we have with Tutor.com to support the military members themselves," said Colonel Morris. "When our members are receiving additional education, they're able to take advantage of this service, no matter where they are in the world."

To sign up for the program, eligible Airmen must visit the base library to get a username and password. Once enrolled, students can use the program anywhere in the world, regardless of where they attend school.

The event also featured opportunities for the students to explore Tutor.com and work with a tutor. As part of the hands-on demonstrations, the students also showed Governor Markell, Senator Carper and Colonel Morris how to use the site and the assistance they received from the tutor.

"We all want our children to achieve their greatest potential," said Colonel Morris. "There is nothing that better shapes the future of this country than enabling our children to grow."