>>> CHICAGO STUDENTS ARE STILL   STRUGGLING TO MAKE UP FOR   COVID-ERA LEARNING LOSSES, AND   A LOCAL TUTORING ORGANIZATION   IS TRYING TO HELP THEM CLOSE   THAT GAP.
WITH DEMAND HIGHER   THAN EVER BEFORE, THE NEARLY   60-YEAR-OLD NONPROFIT SAYS IT   NEEDS MANY MORE VOLUNTEERS TO   STEP UP AND WORK WITH STUDENTS   IN NEED.
"CHICAGO TONIGHT"'S   NICK BLUMBERG JOINS US NOW.
TELL US ABOUT THIS GROUP'S   WORK.
>> PARIS, AS YOU MENTIONED,   TUTORING CHICAGO IS A   LONG-RUNNING ORGANIZATION.
IT   BEGAN WHEN MONTGOMERY WARD   EMPLOYEES STARTED TUTORING   STUDENTS IN CABRINI GREEN.
NOW   THEY WORK AROUND THE CITY.
THE   NUMBER OF STUDENTS THE   ORGANIZATION TUTORS HAS  QUADRUPLED OVER THE LAST   DECADE, AND THE PANDEMIC HAS   ONLY MADE THE NEED MORE DIRE.
>> THE READING IS STILL BEHIND.
THEIR MATH IS STILL BEHIND,   WHICH ACTUALLY ALSO IMPACTS   THEIR CONFIDENCE.
SO WE'RE ABLE  TO, YOU KNOW, HAVE CUSTOMIZED   LEARNING EXPERIENCES FOR THEM.
UNFORTUNATELY, THE DEMAND IS   VERY HIGH.
WHAT WE REALLY NEED   IS MORE FEW OR THES.
THE MORE   TUTORS THAT WE GET, THE MORE   IMPACT THAT WE CAN MAKE ON THE   STUDENTS.
>> THEY SAY DEMAND IS VERY   HIGH, HOW VERY HIGH?
>> THE GROUP'S BEEN WORKING   WITH MORE THAN 1,100 STUDENTS   IN GRADES ONE THROUGH TEN,   MOSTLY CPS, BUT SOME CHARTER   AND CATHOLIC SCHOOL ATTENDEES   AS WELL.
THEY'RE EXPECTING   RECORD ENROLLMENT THIS YEAR,   TOPPING PREVIOUS NUMBERS, AND   THEY'RE OPENING A NEW LOCATION   ON THE SOUTH SIDE TO JOIN THEIR  NORTH AND WEST SIDE LOCATIONS,   AS WELL AS EXPANDING THEIR   DIGITAL OFFERINGS.
>> THE ONE TO ONE TUTORING IS   REALLY LIKE A CUSTOMIZED   LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR THE   STUDENT, AND IT'S ALSO LIKE A  MENTORSHIP.
SOME OF OUR TUTORS   STAY WITH THE SAME STUDENT FOR   THREE TO FIVE YEARS.
THEY   ACTUALLY HAVE A REALLY GOOD   RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM AND ARE   ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE A   BIGGER IMPACT FOR THEM.
>> SO WHAT ARE STUDENTS   PROVIDED HERE?
>> THEY GET 90 MINUTES OF FREE   ONE TO ONE TUTORING EVERY WEEK.
FAMILIES WHO NEED IT ALSO GET A  CHROMEBOOK AND TECH HELP.
AS   FOR THE TUTORS, THEY GET   TRAINING AND A CUSTOMIZED   LESSON PLAN.
MERRICK IS   TRAINING A STUDENT HERSELF THIS  YEAR AND SAYS WHILE IT FELT A   LITTLE DAUNTING, THE GROUP  MAKES IT EASY FOR PEOPLE   WITHOUT EXPERIENCE TO HELP A   STUDENT.
I ALSO SPOKE WITH GILL  FITZGERALD, A RETURNING TUTOR,  HE SAYS HE WAS APPREHENSIVE TOO  BUT THE EXPERIENCE WAS WORTH  IT.
HE WAS IN THIRD GRADE  READING AT A FIRST GRADE LEVEL,  SO THEY FOCUSED ON SIGHT WORDS,  WORDS YOU CAN'T JUST SOUND OUT   BUT HAVE TO MEMORIZE.
>> WE WORKED REALLY HARD EVERY  SINGLE WEEK, AND THAT'S WHAT IT  TAKES.
YOU'VE GOT TO PUT IN   YOUR BEST EFFORT.
YOU COULD SEE  IT IN HIS CONFIDENCE.
EVEN HIS  MOM GAVE ME A NOTE AT THE END   OF THE YEAR SAYING HOW MUCH OF   AN IMPACT WE MADE.
SO IT WAS   TERRIFIC.
IT FELT GREAT.
AND I   CAN'T WAIT TO DO IT AGAIN THIS   YEAR.
>> FITZGERALD SAYS THE STUDENT   HE TUTORS IS NOW READING   PROFICIENTLY AT HIS GRADE   LEVEL.
>> I HAD TUTORS FOR MULTIPLE   DIFFERENT SUBJECTS FROM, I   WOULD SAY, FIRST GLADE UP   THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL.
AND IT   MADE A PROFOUND IMPACT ON ME   ACADEMICALLY, HELPED MY  CONFIDENCE.
I KNOW A LOT OF   STUDENTS OUT THERE DON'T HAVE   THOSE SAME TYPES OF   OPPORTUNITIES.
SO DON'T   UNDERESTIMATE THE AMOUNT OF   IMPACT ONE PERSON CAN HAVE.
YOU  CAN CHANGE THE TRAJECTORY ON A   STUDENT 'S LIFE.
>> ACCORDING TO A TUTORING  CHICAGO SURVEY, MORE THAN 90%   OF THE TEACHERS WHO WORK WITH   STUDENTS WHO GO THROUGH THIS   TUTORING PROGRAM REPORTED  IMPROVEMENTS IN READING AND