In The Class-Zoom EQUAL EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL STUDENTS FUELS 17-YEAR-OLD EMME SHAFFER TO FOUND A FREE TUTORING SERVICE. Photographed by Tameka Jacobs
As a kid with two successful parents (dad Alan is a
and launch Tutor Together (tutor-together.com), which
engagement/procurement agency), Emme Shaffer realized
offers free services for K–8 students who don’t have the
she had advantages. The teen, who attends The Buckley
means or access to tutoring.
School, also realized that when it came to academics, those advantages could be considered unfair. “I’ve always been aware that if I was struggling in
students at Buckley. Thus far, 30 students have registered—one from as far away as Canada. All the student needs to participate is access to a computer or smart-
who can’t do that, and it’s not fair. We should have equal
phone for the Zoom call.
inhibited by socioeconomic status,” Emme explains. She’d always wanted to do something but couldn’t quite put her finger on it—until the pandemic hit. “Our housekeeper mentioned that her son was strug-
“It’s not just the kids who we are helping; it’s the parents, too. They are so grateful. It frees them up to do what they need to do during their day,” says Buckley student and tutor Zoe Stevens. As she heads into her senior year, Emme is thinking
gling with his online studies. It wasn’t easy for him even
that someday she’d like to be a human rights attorney. “I
before social distancing, and now it was even more dif-
want to use the privilege that I’ve been given to help peo-
ficult. I thought, why not start a free tutoring service and
ple who don’t have the ability to stand up for themselves.
just do it online?”
Tutor Together is just my first step.” ■
The Tutor Together faculty: Miranda Wise, Hannah Lascher, Olivia Pelenghian, Emme Shaffer, Zoe Stevens, Izzy Werdesheim, Sophia Norouzi and Ellie Glosman.
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She rallied her gal pals to help tutor; most are fellow
math, I could easily call my tutor. There are students educational opportunities for all students that aren’t
40
She worked through her spring break to build a website
personal injury attorney; mom Tracy owns a celebrity
