The Santa Maria Public Library Foundation is spearheading a fundraising campaign to develop after-school homework help centers in the Santa Maria Library system to assist children in grades K through 6 with tutors and technology that may not otherwise be available to them.
City Librarian Mary Housel said organizers are hoping to launch the program in January at the main library in Santa Maria using volunteers. The goal is to start it there and then open homework help centers at all the libraries operated by the city.
“We’re really excited. There is a genuine need we’re seeing here,” Housel said. “A lot of kids come in looking for help, and their parents don’t speak English or their parents are too busy and can’t help them.”
The foundation has received some money through grants, private donors, and donations from Altrusa, the Retired Teachers Association and the Santa Maria Breakfast Rotary Club, but more money is needed to reach the $19,000 goal.
The money will cover the cost of a tutor, computers, materials, and marketing. The biggest expense will be the $10,000 annual fee for Brain Fuse online tutoring. Housel said Brain Fuse is an online one-on-one tutoring program that can help on those tough math problems that volunteers can’t help with. Students can also submit papers and have them critiqued. The service would be available to library members from home even when the library is closed.
The after-school homework help centers will benefit students in Santa Maria, Guadalupe, Orcutt, Cuyama, and Los Alamos.
Donations can be mailed to Santa Maria Public Library Foundation, 421 S. McClelland St., Santa Maria, CA 93454. For more information, call 925-0951, Ext. 322.
This article appears in Nov 26 – Dec 3, 2015.
