Marin middle-schoolers get academic boost from teens

Marin high school students are increasingly filling in a wealth of tutoring, training and support gaps for middle school students around the county, according to education leaders.

In southern Marin, a new free twice-weekly afternoon tutoring program involving students from Tamalpais High School is getting a great response at Mill Valley Middle School, principal Sara McKenna said.

“We are thrilled to welcome Tam High students to our campus, giving back to the community in such a meaningful way,” McKenna said of the program at the middle school library that began last month. “This partnership not only helps our current students academically, but also strengthens the bond between our schools.”

In San Rafael, Davidson Middle School principal Michael Stachon said he is gratified to welcome students from Marin Academy once weekly to help the students with homework and other support.

“The biggest benefits in my opinion is that often high school students have an easy time connecting and building trusting relationships with our middle schoolers,” Stachon said. “Our students have shared with me that they appreciate the extra support.”

John Carroll, Marin superintendent of schools, said assistance from older teens is often easier for middle school students to receive.

“Older peers are often easier to connect with socially than adults so they can set an attainable example of achievement and in many cases will have a clearer understanding of what the younger student is going through,” Carroll said.

“For example, there is a big difference between someone saying, yes, I took the same chemistry class two years ago and can remember what it was like, and an adult who might say, I took that class 25 years ago and went on to get a master’s degree,” he said.

High school students are also volunteering at an expanded free homework assistance after-school program at the Marin County library branches in Corte Madera, Novato and Fairfax and at the Marin County Civic Center in San Rafael.

The program was started by Sarani Puri at the Corte Madera Library in 2022, when Puri was a Redwood High School student.

At the Sausalito Marin City School District, the nonprofit Bridge the Gap program enlists high school students to help middle-schoolers at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Academy.

Lisa Raffel, Bridge the Gap executive director, said some high school students who are in the Bridge the Gap program are employed to work part time in the extended day program at the Sausalito K-8 school.

“We have a couple of our own BTG students who work part time in our after-school program that includes middle school students,” Raffel said. “They help with homework, games, enrichment activities and overall support.”

High school students also teach recreational programs after school at MLK, Raffel said. Students from the Branson School in Ross have taught classes in sailing and guitar, she said. Students from Redwood High School and Marin Catholic have volunteered to help run games at the K-8 school’s recent festival, she said.

Bridge the Gap is also working to develop a math tutoring program in partnership with Mathnasium, a math support organization, Raffel said.

At the Novato Unified School District, a recent free event sponsored by College of Marin focused on the district’s eighth-graders and their college and career aspirations.

The event, called “Empower Tomorrow,” took place Oct. 11 at the college’s Indian Valley Campus in Novato. The event allowed students to interact with business representatives and explore various career fields that align with their interests and aspirations.

“This program was an incredible opportunity for students to explore career interests, connect with industry professionals and learn more about the pathways to high school and college programs,” said Julie Synyard, the district’s executive director of education services.