With the importance of academic grades and scores increasing each year, many parents, in addition to the students themselves, are searching for after-school programs that offer test prep and tutoring programs to get a competitive edge. However, these programs are not the only things students are searching for. In preparation for college applications, many high schoolers are searching for places where they chan volunteer as a way to show their caring and to help their communities. What if I told you a place like this actually exists? That there is a place for students which provides both tutoring and volunteering services? Well, let me introduce you to the FCBA Tutoring Program, a community organization run by high school students that offers tutoring services, as well as volunteering opportunities.
What Exactly is the FCBA Tutoring Program?
The FCBA Tutoring Program, an organization under the Flushing Business Chinese Association (FBCA), was created to address the disparities seen in education among students of different socioeconomic backgrounds in the Flushing community. Their aim is to provide academic aid in the areas where students may be struggling in. Being a Saturday enrichment program that operates between the hours of 1 p.m. and 5 p.m., the program educates students from diverse ethnicities, financial statuses, and ages, ranging from those in Pre-K to 12th Grade.
“We strive to provide an option—an opportunity to families who may not have the luxury or financial stability to be able to give their children all the necessary tools for success,” said Emily Lin ’26, a junior at Bronx Science and the CEO of the FCBA Tutoring Program.
With many tutoring services today costing thousands of dollars per semester of school, not many parents are able to afford these luxuries for their children.
Where, and how, does the FCBA Tutoring Program operate and provide its services?
The FCBA Tutoring Program is located and bases their services in the New York Tutoring Center, an established center within the Flushing community. Currently, they use the center’s facilities to create and nurture an environment to provide exemplary preparatory courses to students. They also provide opportunities for academically driven high school students to share their knowledge and experience from their school life to those who are younger than them, through tutoring and volunteering for the program.
What tutoring services do they provide?
The FCBA Tutoring Program strives to help the younger generation with their academic struggles. Along with the help of middle school and high school volunteers, they have been able to provide high-quality, accessible education. To cover all the topics students need help with, the program provides services like aid in learning English for those who are speaking it as a second language. They also provide tutoring for assessments or exams that impact a student’s academic record, such as the NYS standardized exams, and the SHSAT. They also offer tutoring for STEM subjects, like Chemistry or Algebra 1, for those who might need assistance in said subjects.
ESL
One of the most helpful services the program provides is English Second Language (ESL), which teaches children and students who are learning English as a second language. The time spent in the course is split into two sections, with the first section covering punctuation, grammar, and definitions of various words. Simply put, the first section is a lesson that teaches students about sentence structure. The second section is independent reading. Students are taught to read books at their reading level, or higher, with a designated tutor, in order to practice reading comprehension and pronunciation.
“When the children in ESL are reading their books, it’s usually my duty to help them understand the book, including telling them how to pronounce certain words and their meaning, in order to increase the kids’ understanding of the overall passage more, and to also ask questions to make sure they understand, not just know. The program itself can teach both students and volunteers partnership skills and also presentation skills, in order to better help them in the future, whether it’s in school or a future job,” said Min Liu, an ESL tutor and a current ninth grader at Bayside High School.
NYS Standardized Exams
Students in grades 3 to 8 are taught about the different topics in each of New York’s standardized State Assessments. These students are given test-taking strategies that could help them excel on the test. They are given practice standardized exams to do, as a way to identify what areas and skills they might be struggling with and need help in.
SHSAT
Middle schoolers who are in this course are taught the topics on the Specialized High Schools Admissions Test (SHSAT), focusing on the math and verbal skills needed to gain entry to New York City’s specialized high schools. Assigning past exams as practice is a great way to familiarize students with the style of the exam and gain an understanding of the types of problems commonly encountered.
As David Son, a junior at Stuyvesant High School, as well as the SHSAT Education Director said, “Because I am currently attending Stuyvesant High School, I know of the countless opportunities and academic accolades that Specialized High Schools can offer, and I want to be able to spread those opportunities to the kids in my community.”
Preparatory Courses
The program also provides a variety of preparatory courses. One of the main courses offered is called Homework Help, and as the name suggests, it is to help students with their homework. With a designated tutor, students work through and solve questions from their homework together. The students can ask their tutors for help with a topic they’re confused about, receive guidance and insight to solve a question, or request a detailed and thorough explanation to a solution. Other courses revolve around practice and mastery of the different subjects and topics taught in school, especially the subjects that are tested on the Regents and other major academic assessments.
A Volunteering Opportunity
Aside from being an enrichment program, the FCBA Tutoring Program is a place where 8th to 12th graders can volunteer as tutors. After going through interviews, passing academic requirements, and even presenting their teaching style, students are able to participate as tutors teaching in their preferred area of interest. However, this is not the only benefit for those who volunteer as tutors in this program. Tutors are eligible to receive awards, certificates, free SAT classes, and even free college consulting from the NYTC (New York Tutoring Center) team based on the accumulation of their hours.
Anything Else?
Other than providing preparatory courses and volunteering opportunities, this program also holds high school, college, and career showcases and expos, hosted at New York Tutoring Center, where various students and guest speakers present their experiences from their school, profession, or walk of life. The program has also collaborated with other organizations, hosting and taking part in a wide variety of events. Previously, the FCBA collaborated with the New York Police Department, hosting seminars on transportation safety, celebrations about the empowerment of women, and forging bonds between different cultures. A major event they participated in was the 29th Annual Flushing Chinese Business Association Lunar New Year Parade, which took place this year on the 1st of February. They had helped organize and had been one of the groups that were at the parade.
“We strive to provide an option—an opportunity to families who may not have the luxury or financial stability to be able to give their children all the necessary tools for success”, said Emily Lin ’26, a junior at Bronx Science and the CEO of the FCBA Tutoring Program.