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Lilly Endowment Awards Rose-Hulman $1.8 Million Grant to Support Homework Hotline Through 2014
September 12, 2011
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology has received a $1.8 million
grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to continue the Homework Hotline
math and science tutoring service. It will now support
Indiana middle school and high school students through 2014.
Through the popular program, Rose-Hulman students are available
from 7-10 p.m. on Sundays through Thursdays. They provide
free tutoring sessions or assistance with homework problems to
those participants who call toll-free 1-877-ASK-ROSE or through
e-mails and online resources at www.AskRose.org.
The Homework Hotline opened for the 2011-12 school year on
Sunday, September 4, and will continue through May 2012.
"High-level math and science skills are essential for today's
school children to be successful in this high-tech, global
economy," said Sara B. Cobb, Lilly Endowment vice president for
education. "We are pleased that this grant will continue to
connect some of Indiana's most outstanding math and science college
students with middle school and high school students.
Rose-Hulman has been consistently ranked the best undergraduate
engineering college in the country. Indiana students are
fortunate to have this valuable service."
Homework Hotline Director Susan Smith added: "Lilly Endowment's
loyal support will allow the Homework Hotline to continue helping
thousands of Indiana school children each year to understand the
complexities of math and science. The Homework Hotline has
become an educational model throughout the country thanks to the
lessons learned since our start in 1991. And Lilly Endowment
has been supporting our mission every step of the way."
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Helping Hoosiers: Specially-selected Rose-Hulman Institute
of Technology students tutor thousands of Indiana middle school and
high school students each year through the Homework Hotline.
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In 2010, Rose-Hulman's Homework Hotline was replicated by
California's Harvey Mudd College to help elementary and secondary
school students in the Claremont area. Other colleges are
looking to adapt aspects of the hotline for their communities.
Homework Hotline tutors answered 45,042 calls and conducted
2,934 online sessions during the 2010-11 school year, helping
students from every Indiana county. The service has helped
401,839 callers since 1991.
The tutors' mission is to provide callers with tools needed to
learn. More than 30 tutors are available each night, and
approximately 130 tutors and supervisors will be employed this
year. Tutors are selected based on their technical knowledge
and communication skills. They represent 14 academic majors,
and can collectively speak nearly a dozen different languages,
including Arabic, French, German, Japanese, Mandarin, Spanish and
Russian.
"We try to focus on helping students learn how to use their
textbook," explains Homework Hotline Tutor Supervisor Julie
Brennan, a senior mechanical engineering major from
Indianapolis. With that knowledge she says, "They will be
able to get through the problems themselves and use the textbook
better as a resource."
Brennan enjoys the satisfaction of being able to help
others. "About 50 percent of the calls are from students who
are so close to getting the answer," she explained. "Nothing
is better than this job when you talk to someone and then he or she
finally understands."
Smith added: "Tutors share their interest and excitement about
math, science and engineering, while attempting to spark the
curiosity and imagination of each student."
In 2010-11, the central Indiana area led the pack of callers
with students from Marion County making 5,056 calls and Hamilton
County registering 2,266 calls. Northern Indiana's Lake
(Gary/Merrillville) and Allen (Fort Wayne) counties contributed an
additional 4,086 calls, combined.
Learn more about the Homework Hotline at www.AskRose.org.