The COVID-19 pandemic has devastated the K-12 educational landscape in the US, including here in New Haven. Last year, Education Studies Scholars Brooklin Ballad (‘22), Natalie Troy (‘22), and Isaac Yearwood (‘22) realized the need to support students suffering the impacts of online learning and lost contact hours with teachers. They, with other Ed Studies Scholars and Professor Talya Zemach-Bersin, brainstormed how the Education Studies community could help. The result? The Yale Education Tutoring Initiative (YETI). YETI matches Yale graduate and undergraduate volunteers to students from New Haven and West Haven. Tutors meet with their assigned student weekly, assisting with subjects ranging from history to the SATs.
Thanks to the collaboration of student organizations and graduate students, YETI has grown beyond the bounds of Education Studies. This Spring, 105 tutor-student pairs re-enrolled, and Brooklin and Natalie (the current Co-Presidents) have added 30 additional students. They anticipate serving 150 students this semester.
“We were cognizant that there are existing tutoring organizations in New Haven,” Natalie says. YETI contacted LEAP, New Haven Reads, and the New Haven Boys & Girls Club—but found them already overwhelmed thanks to COVID-19. “We decided YETI could exist, but needed to expand.” The YETI team reached out to graduate students, faculty, and the Office of New Haven Affairs. With the help of Rebecca Starble and Kassidi Jones from the Graduate and Professional Student Senate, YETI partnered with People Get Ready to give 103 books to YETI tutees. “The books were pretty diverse, and a lot of our students were like: Oh my goodness, we love these books!” Brooklin recalls.
As YETI looks to the future, Brooklin and Natalie hope to partner with student groups that might offer workshops or activities for YETI students, as well as performance groups who can sing and perform for students. If you are interested in being involved, please reach out to yetistudyhall@gmail.com.