A local non-profit organization has expanded its free tutoring program to all Corpus Christi Independent School District elementary students.
The Educating Children’s Future Community Center was created by a local church, and when the church closed, CCISD invited it to be a part of its system.
Minnie Munoz, the Executive Director of Educating Children’s Future, started a free after-school program for three hours on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays to provide tutoring. The program is open to all CCISD elementary students in the community.
“What we are trying to accomplish is to be able to get these kids back on getting excited about learning, and their education," Munoz said. "The future for them is getting a strong education.”
The program is a safety-net program that encourages kids to be the best that they can be.
“So we are able to help them by providing them a positive mentorship, a good environment, a positive environment, and we provide them the best educated tutors,” said Munoz.
The tutors are volunteer students from area colleges such as Del Mar College and Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.
“These students are studying to become teachers, and they come and (do) their internships here at my agency," she said. "We provide them children where they get that one-on-one or small study groups (experience), and we have seen the results from it all, and we see failing to passing within six weeks.".
The after-school tutoring program is designed to help 30 students develop study skills and a better understanding of their schoolwork every six weeks.
“They have to be failing with at least a 70 and below or they have to have a note from their teacher, counselor, or principal saying so-and-so is really struggling and so that way we can be able to get them into our program,” she said.
Munoz says her ultimate goal is to see this program implemented all over the state of Texas to help boost students in the classroom with free academic tutoring.
The ECF Community Center is an after-school tutoring educational enrichment program for all at-risk elementary age children who live in the inner city. The program is designed to demonstrate that the trend of poor student achievement can be reversed, and that all students can master academic standards if they are given time, support, and instruction that focuses on their academic needs.
The after-school programs are held at Zavala Elementary and T.G. Allen Elementary, and are open to all CCISD elementary students.
For more information: 361-452-8340 or visit them online at https://www.ecf-cc.org/
