December 20, 2022 -- A new partnership will help elementary school students build math and Spanish skills while helping high schoolers work toward graduation requirements. 

The new tutoring program began this school year as a partnership between Columbus Spanish Immersion Academy and Columbus International High School. Once a week, Columbus International seniors visit Columbus Spanish Immersion and tutor fourth graders in math, instructing them in Spanish. 

“It has been wonderful to see the Columbus International students working with our students,” said Columbus Spanish Immersion Academy Principal Ashley Beasley. “It’s also an opportunity for previous Spanish Immersion students to return and be role models to our current students. Students can apply their language and content skills when tutoring our students as they support our math, which is instructed in Spanish. We are grateful for this partnership within our feeder pattern.” 

These high school seniors get multiple benefits from the program too. They earn internship hours toward graduation while building leadership skills. In addition, students will complete a Service Above Self project during the tutoring program. 

Lizeth Espinoza is a Spanish teacher at Columbus International and helped organize the program along with LeAnthony Jones, a career and community resource coordinator at Columbus International and South High School.   

“As part of my role, I try to find community service and volunteer opportunities for kids,” Jones said. “Some of the kids who used to go to Spanish Immersion now go to International, so we figured maybe they would want to help out there. We then worked to find a time that worked for both schools.”

Espinoza said she hopes students feel part of something larger than themselves. 

“Sometimes, students will come back and say they helped a kid, and they’re so excited to see them again for tutoring,” Espinoza said. “They will tell me all about what they taught the kids. It’s a way for them to build leadership skills. It’s also a way for students to feel like they are part of a group. Helping other students could give them ideas of what they want to do in their future careers.” 

Dylann Cortes is one of the seven Columbus International seniors participating in the program. 

“It’s been an interesting and fun experience helping out the kids,” he said. “I get to help them learn and see them progress in their studies. I wanted the experience of helping them. That was mainly my goal.” 

When Cortes heard about the program, he was interested in helping out. He said his favorite part has been seeing kids progress in their math and Spanish-speaking skills. 

“The opportunity came up, and I was interested in helping the kids,” Cortes said. “It turned out to be a fun experience. The kids are very energetic. They’re smart, and they are ready to learn.”

Espinoza and Jones see this program as having a lot of potential for the future. 

“One of our hopes is that we could get in earlier to help second and third graders,” Espinoza said. “Maybe not with math but mentoring overall. It could become something where high school seniors engage with kids and help them.”