The Siemer Family Foundation generously awarded a $20,ooo grant to support OWU’s Bishop Scholar Tutoring Program at Columbus Bilingual Academy North (CBAN). The Bishop Scholars Program is an innovative approach to provide both an experiential teaching and learning experience, while also engaging in service learning, away from campus. Bishop Scholars provides intentional, high-dosage tutoring in math and reading to kindergarten through fourth grade students at CBAN who have fallen behind academically. During the 2023-24 academic year, students in the Bishop Scholars program achieved an 86% increase in math scores and realized a 94% increase in reading scores. Suresh Kannan, a Microbiology major and Data Analytics minor and a tutor in the 2023-24 Bishop Scholar program, said the OWU tutors try to help the children with the academic struggles they are facing. “We give them encouragement and help them to know they can get it,” he said. “Most of the (CBAN) tutors are bilingual. We understand their struggles. We provide a safe environment for them to make mistakes and learn.” Benefits of the program extend to OWU’s students by developing and enhancing critical leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills. Additionally, participation as a Bishop Scholar Tutor fulfills OWU’s graduation requirement for at least one Connection Experience as one of the many service learning opportunities available to students. For more information on how to become a Bishop Scholars tutor, please contact Sally Leber, Director of Community Service Learning at ssleber@owu.edu.
OWU Sponsoring Organization/Office: Foundation Relations Office
Contact: Susan Zimmerman at grants@owu.edu