BALTIMORE — Teens in the Pen Lucy neighborhood of East Baltimore are giving back, sitting down with younger kids who might be struggling with reading or math.
“Teaching reading is really fun, at least I’d like to say especially with kids cause they think the story is really really interesting,” Deaira Boykin, a tutor, said.
The tutoring is the newest program from the nonprofit my father’s plan.
Born in the East Baltimore neighborhood, the nonprofit usually gets kids involved in community cleanups, now they’re branching out to tutoring and mental health services.
“It’s good, it’s good because most neighborhoods don’t have this. Most neighborhoods don’t actually come together they just go other places but their neighborhoods so it’s good to have a neighborhood or community that does this,” Ziy'aira Boykin, a tutor said.
Deaira and Ziy’aira are sisters who live in the neighborhood.
On this day, Ziy’ara is helping out with math homework.
Both have been working with the nonprofit for few years and get paid for their work but it’s not why they do it.
“The kids that feel like they don’t have someone at home like they have to get their work done at school because they don’t have this extra assistance, it’s like hey you have me, I’m here, I can help you you don’t have to be alone,” Ziy'ara said.
“It’s easy for me, so it’s like I enjoy it when it’s easy so it’s like when it’s easy for me and I feel like it’s hard for other kids I can just help them and it not be so hard when I simplify it,” Ziy'ara said.
The program helps both kids – the tutors get their own money and learn the discipline of showing up for a job while the students get their homework done.
Who knows, maybe one day the kids they’re tutoring will help the next round of kids in a few years.
