Students and teachers are struggling to meet academic standards under distance learning and demonstrate a need for volunteer tutoring services in the community. As a result, residents of the Hudson Valley launched Dutchess/Orange Tutoring (DOT) last week to support K-12 students whose schools have been shut down due to the current pandemic.

“I literally had my AP chemistry teacher go into my AP language class giving out packets for break,” said Josh Sandler, a junior at Cornwall Central High School. Sandler is one of many students affected by government officials’ decision to close schools across New York State. “I think I’ll still be ok, but it’s bad for people who weren’t doing too well before this,” he added.

Although many teachers still attempt to teach remotely, some feel that the transition has not been smooth enough to ensure a quality education for all students. “We’ve had no training for something like this,” explained Andrea Sharp, a teacher at Temple Hill Academy. In spite of her best efforts, she fears that “we’re going to have to start from square one” upon returning to school.

Sharp expressed that volunteer tutoring services such at DOT could benefit her students greatly in these challenging times. “Parents can’t afford to go out and hire a tutor, especially when people are getting laid off and a recession is coming,” she said.

In an effort to make tutoring services more accessible to students, college students in the region created DOT. “A lot of people don’t have a strong grasp of how early learning affects the trajectory of kids’ lives and its long-lasting implications,” said Jessica Wu, Harvard ‘23 and a founding member of DOT. Wu explained that there are many families in need in the Hudson Valley who could benefit from the service.

Wu hopes that more communities across the country will invest in education during these challenging times. “A lot of the framework is already in place, and we would be happy to share whatever forms we’ve already created,” said Wu. She added that service can benefit volunteers as well as students by making them feel more connected with connected with the community despite self-isolation