Student making wolf sign on campus

ABERDEEN, S.D. – As schools all over the nation continue to teach the remainder of the semester online, many teachers can become overwhelmed. When teachers are only able to communicate with their students via Zoom calls and occasional emails, it becomes easier for students to fall behind in their class work.

In this time of uncertainty, many individuals are making a point to help those around them in whatever ways they can. One such individual is Northern State University student Molly Walter. Walter is a math education major from Monticello, Minnesota, who works with the tutoring center on Northern’s campus. She recently began working with her community to start an online tutoring program for her local school district.

“When I came back to Monticello, I began talking with some of the people I went to high school with,” said Walter. “We saw all of these students in our school district who were struggling with distance learning, and came up with the idea to start an online tutoring center to help relieve some of the pressure from teachers and parents.”

Students can access the center’s website and apply for tutoring in a variety of subjects in all grade levels K-12, completely free of charge. The center also offers tutoring in both English and Spanish as Monticello has a large Spanish-speaking population. The group is now working with 70+ qualified volunteers who have had complete background checks through the district. Recently, the group has officially been licensed as a nonprofit organization in the state of Minnesota.

“In a 30 mile radius, there are six or seven school districts surrounding Monticello, and we are now seeing students from the surrounding school districts starting to reach out for tutoring. We have even been in contact with people from Minneapolis who are interested in starting a similar program in their communities, which has been really exciting.”

To learn more or make a donation to the center’s effort to provide free tutoring during this unprecedented time, visit their website.

About Northern State University

Northern State University is a regional university that offers outstanding academics and exceptional extracurricular activities at an affordable price on a safe, welcoming campus. Northern State recently announced its Educational Impact Campaign, with a goal of raising $55 million for a new South Dakota School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, new athletic and recreation fields, and an on-campus regional sports complex. Once the campaign is complete, NSU will be the recipient of more than $100 million in privately funded building projects and scholarships within a decade. To learn more, visit NSU Admissions