Study Buddy Club

For The Good, Inc. has operated the Study Buddy Club in conjunction with Hamilton College since its beginnings in 2002. The Study Buddy Club provides tutoring, mentoring, and enrichment to inner-city, at-risk students who are 13-18 years of age. Once they arrive by bus at the Hamilton College Campus, Study Buddies receive specialized help for their areas of academic need. The Study Buddy Club tends to average about 30 students per session.

The SBC was instated as an official Hamilton College organization in 2007. The Study Buddy Club is a prime example of “town and gown” collaboration as is often described as the best volunteer program on the Hill. A totally student driven organization, SBC student leadership has been seamlessly passed on from year to year since its inception.

SBC Operations

The SBC operates two Saturday’s a month at Hamilton College where the students eat a healthy lunch at the main dining hall and are then paired with student tutors. After about 2 hours of studying with their tutors, students then participate in culturally engaging activities such as lectures, demonstrations include science experiments, ethnic dancing, viewing art exhibitions or educational videos, taking part in hands-on computer workshops, etc.

By pairing struggling high-school students with high achieving college students, Study Buddy participants get real help and answers from individuals who have been through similar challenges already. There is a certain magic that occurs between younger and older teens. Study Buddies generally want to relate to and please their slightly older tutors and the tutors are admired by their young charges. Service learning benefits the college students, and in many cases, the SBC creates important class and ethnic inter-relationships which ordinarily wouldn’t occur.

SBC Officers

Since 2008, SBC students have elected officers of the club, President, Vice-president, Secretary, and Treasurer. This is important since this demographic of inner city children rarely enter into student government activities. It is generally understood that emersion in student government at the high school level prepares students in leadership, government and familiarity with boards of directors later in life. Officers learn basic Roberts Rules of Order and as their meetings are held in the home offices of For The Good, they become familiar with a smooth operating business office as well.

The past two years have also seen an inclusion of Burmese Karen and Sudanese refugee students in the Study Buddy Club. A Burmese Karen youth was recently voted an officer in SBC.

Fall 2010, the students experienced a hands-on studying seminar with local high school teacher, Nancy Zumpano, and a jazz workshop by Hamilton College Professor, Doctor Michael Woods.

Study Buddy Club’s Goals:

• Help Utica teens succeed in school, with the ultimate goal of graduating high school and going on to college.
• Teach valuable study skills through bi-monthly workshops.
• Introduce healthy and balanced nutrition to students’ diets.
• Develop leadership training to establish young leadership.
• Expose students to a college campus, which includes academic focus, healthy food, and various student activities, clubs and events.
• Learn how to interact with one another, get along with their peers and work together as a team.

Field Trips

When funding is available, educational field trips are part of the program. Field trips are seen as a reward for the academic success of the SBC students. The year 2006 marked the first SBC field trip. Twenty-five SBC students, eight college tutors, FTG staff, parent chaperons, and college professors ventured to NYC during Black History Month. There they visited three different museums and had lunch at a famous Harlem soul food restaurant before returning home.

Spring 2009, the SBC had to cancel plans to New York City due to the swine flu outbreak. Instead, the SBC joined the Junior Frontiers and the 100 Black Men of Syracuse for RIT’s “Imagine RIT Innovation & Creativity Festival”. The festival was a creativity fair showcasing over 450 exhibits from RIT students. The group spent the entire day at RIT, doing everything from making chain mail, to watching robot races, playing state of the art video games, seeing green energy alternatives, figuring out which side of the brain they use, rock climbing, etc. Over, 25,000 visitors flocked to RIT for the day.

The Study Buddy Club functions two Saturdays a month from 11:30 to 3 throughout the collegiate academic year. If there are any questions, please feel free to contact Community Organizer, Mark Ziobro at For The Good, Inc. (315) 797-2417.