Knightly News

It’s flex/office hours, and Aldrich Library is buzzing with activity. Students fill each couch downstairs, studying in groups and individually. In the Academic Resource Center upstairs, Fellows work with Middle and Upper School students on a range of subjects. “This is so much more than a library,” says Academic Resource Center and Thesis Director Katie Sutcliffe. “This is a hub of support.”

Now that the Academic Resource Center offers assistance in all subjects, that support has expanded tremendously. “We’ve had more one-on-one appointments than ever before,” says Sutcliffe. “We’ve fully embraced this all-subject approach.” In only the first semester of this school year, Fellows and the library team provided the following to their classmates.

• 562 one-on-one appointments

• 166 class visit collaborations

• 49 U.S. 101 study hall lessons

• 47 ongoing partnerships

• 8 Rent-A-Fellow engagements

This support would not be possible without dedicated Fellows. Senior Louis Freeman conducted a record number of appointments last semester and says he understands the feeling of needing a little guidance and the value of being supported by classmates. “I feel I am making a difference by often being available to help students in a wide range of subjects, as well as helping other tutors with subjects they are not familiar with,” he says. “It is truly a joy and pleasure and one of my favorite things to do on campus and it’s a way that I can rethank the school community for providing me with such abundant resources.”

Tremendous Benefits for High-Achieving Students

Sutcliffe says the Academic Resource Center model is not traditional tutoring but more of an environment for coaching, mentoring and guiding. She points out that fellows are trained in how to support and relate to their classmates in a way that is positive and beneficial. Upper School English teacher Dawn Burton, who frequently partners with the center, says the fellows are an invaluable asset for her students. “Brainstorming, organization, drafting, and revising with a peer provide a safe and enriching environment for students to explore elements of their writing,” she says. “Students need various audiences to thrive as writers, so having fellows from different grade levels has added new perspectives.” According to the National Education Association (NEA) some of the benefits of peer tutoring include boosting academic achievement, improving relationships with peers, improving personal and social development and increasing motivation. Peer tutoring has also been found to benefit the tutee and the tutor equally.

With so many benefits, it makes sense that student-led tutoring programs and writing centers are a staple and expectation at renowned institutions such as Harvard, MIT, Princeton, Yale and Columbia. Sutcliffe herself served as a writing consultant in her college academic resource center, which also houses math and speech consultants. As a college preparatory school, Episcopal also provides a similar opportunity for students to collaborate, grow and achieve. Sutcliffe, who serves on the board of the Secondary School Writing Centers Association, expects more schools to deploy student-led tutoring as they learn about the benefits. “Most writing centers have expanded because the model works so well,” she says. 

Expanding the Academic Resource Center’s Reach

As one-on-one appointments have grown, fellows are also offering new opportunities for support. Teachers can schedule two or three fellows at once to support a specific classroom lesson through the Rent-A-Fellow program. The U.S. 101 study hall lessons provide new Upper School students lessons on practical information such as time management, organization, how to study and how to access campus resources. Sutcliffe says the goal is to help students understand how to set themselves up for success in high school and beyond. Moving forward, fellows are creating a toolkit of subject-specific resources to help students and fellows with additional information, sample questions and problems.

Expanding services and being available to classmates as an Academic Resource Center Fellow takes commitment. “It’s the same amount of time as a regular course,” says Library Director Tiffany Whitehead. However, for dedicated fellows like Louis, the effort is worth it. “I have learned that tutoring only works when you are able to inspire the student enough to keep the pencil in their own hand and finish the work,” he says. “I have learned that everyone struggles with something, and together we are all so much stronger.”

Making an appointment with an Academic Resource Center Fellow is easy. Students and families can log in to Canvas and click the appointment button on the Academic Resource Center course page. A direct link to the scheduling system can be found here, as well. 

The Episcopal School of Baton Rouge 2024-2025 application is now available! ​For more information on the application process, to schedule a tour, or learn more about the private school, contact us at [email protected] or 225-755-2685.