Indiana College Students Sharing Knowledge Through Free Online Tutoring Service

As the cancellation of classes continues and schools are temporarily shut down due to the spread of COVID-19, students in Central Indiana are experiencing a disruption in their education unlike anything they’ve ever seen before. However, it’s during these unprecedented times where learning must continue, even if it can’t happen in person. And thanks to a group of Indiana college students and recent graduates, class is still in session. Students can now take advantage of an online tutoring service called Knowledge Share, to mitigate COVID-19’s effects on the K-12 education system. “Now more than ever, we must do our part as members of humanity to help one another,” said Hannah Yi, a senior majoring in history at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). “We cannot do everything, but we can all do something." That something was an online tutoring service, free of charge. She first thought of the idea following Indiana University President Michael McRobbie’s announcement of the school’s closure through April. Yi recruited friends and brainstormed how to make E-learning just a little easier for everyone. “Across the country, parents and relatives suddenly have an even greater role in helping our children learn while they simultaneously face challenges of their own during this challenging period,” Yi said. “We acknowledge these obstacles to learning, so we want to assist everyone involved in the learning process by elaborating on concepts, answering any questions students have, and directing them to other reputable resources.” Armed with a dedicated team full of research assistants, teaching assistants, a staff member of the Indianapolis Children’s Museum, a member of the Teach for America 2020 Corps, education majors, and librarians – it’s safe to say they have a plethora of knowledge to share. “I wanted to make it as diverse as possible so we could support all types of subjects and different ranges of questions,” she shared.  Parents or students can email their questions to AskKnowledgeShare@gmail.com, where they will be connected directly to a tutor. Knowledge Share is “virtually” open Monday through Thursday, from 3-9 PM, but has plans to expand their availability as their team grows. Want to become a tutor for Knowledge Share? Click here. Need help from a tutor? Click here.