How Camp Canal Summer and After School Counselors in Training benefit Underprivileged Students

Camp Canal is a new concept – recruiting and training Teen tutors for younger students who may be behind in their grade level proficiency.  Camp Canal, focuses on Pre-K to 5th grade or ages 5–11-year-olds. Our reasoning for focusing on the very young students is that by the time they reach middle and high school, if they do not maintain grade level proficiency, they are so far behind that it is often too late to help them catch up. A small percentage of them might make it to a 4-year college or some a Community College and a good paying job, but the vast majority will not. 

This service can be provided to virtually any Camp or Afterschool program – giving them certified and trained teen tutors to augment their existing staff at NO Cost to these Camps and Afterschool programs!

A telling statistic is the recent 2022/23 results of a local Marin County High School where over 70% of minority children go after graduating from elementary and middle school:

· Grades: 9-12

· Enrollment: 1,298 students

· Student: Teacher Ratio: 21:1

· Minority Enrollment: 72%

· Graduation Rate

: 78% (Btm 50%)

· Overall Testing Rank

: Bottom 50%

· Math Proficiency

: 29% (Btm 50%)

· Reading Proficiency

: 46% (Btm 50%)

· Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), CA Dept. of Education

This confirms our assessment that despite a large investment in schools, computers, and teachers (21-1 ratio which is LOWER than the state average 22-1), this local high school with a majority minority population scores well below in math proficiency – 29%, and 46% in Reading- and this is with 25% of the student population being predominantly nonimmigrant families. And though there is a high proportion of Minority students 72%, that is still lower than the state of California average of 78% – which suggests that this program is needed not just in Marin County, but in the entire state and nationwide where students do not get the focused tutoring needed to get them to grade level proficiency and a path to college acceptance.

These elementary schools have obviously failed - not because they lack computers, equipment, or good teachers. For minorities it may be language issues for immigrants or it may the simple economic reality that working parents are not available to help with homework and other schoolwork. And the core issue is that there is pressure on the schools to pass these students on to the next grade even if they do not achieve grade level proficiency in math or reading. I am reminded of the joke when I was in elementary school that the best three years of my life was 5th grade! Funny, then, but not so much today since those who have fallen behind move on to the next grade despite their deficiencies in reading and math.

The answer at Camp Canal is elegantly simple and a benefit for both older teen student tutors as well as the elementary students. Improve the student to teacher ratio, spend time on math and reading/language and you get a “twofer”! Teens who are certified and paid to help in Camps and after school programs – and younger students who maintain their grade level proficiency and do not fall behind. Hence, when they get to High School, they have a much better chance of mastering Math and reading/language skills needed to get accepted to college!

The pathway to college starts in kindergarten! And continues with certified Camp Canal Counselors in Training!