UCSB Students Provide Free Tutoring to K-12 Families Through Education+

A UCSB student organization is providing free tutoring to K-12 students across Goleta, Santa Barbara, and Carpinteria, serving dozens of families since its 2023 launch.

Education+, founded by fourth-year sociology major and education minor Jessica Lickstein, recruits 30 to 50 UCSB student volunteers each quarter to conduct 10 to 30 weekly tutoring sessions via Zoom. The program offers five daily time slots Monday through Friday from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m., covering all subjects, with Spanish-speaking tutors available upon request.

“As UCSB students, we are deeply committed to addressing the opportunity gaps that many local students face, and we strive to foster a future where all children can not only learn, but thrive,” said Sophia Lane, a second-year political science and history major serving as the organization’s outreach director.

The virtual format addresses a key accessibility issue: transportation. Parents who can’t drive their children to after-school programs can now access free educational support from home.

“It was important to me that they were virtual for parents who could not take time out of their day to drive their kids to an activity or did not have access to transportation,” said Lickstein. “By offering free tutoring and enrichment services in English and Spanish, I hoped the program would help close gaps that arise in the classroom and allow students struggling in a certain topic or wanting more knowledge to get the tools they need to succeed.”

Lickstein’s “eureka” moment came while volunteering in elementary schools around Santa Barbara, where she watched kids fall behind due to out-of-school enrichment opportunities they simply couldn’t access. Education+ emerged from UCSB’s Environmental Leadership Incubator — a nine-month program that trains undergraduates to identify problems and engineer solutions.

The leadership team seems to be a who’s who of student ambition: Lickstein and Fiona Hughes serve as co-presidents, flanked by Hannah Weaver (operations director), Jill Silva (tutoring director), Lane (outreach director), Mia Grove (marketing director), and Stephanie Diaz (Spanish Explorers director). Tutors hail from various majors and backgrounds, each bringing their own expertise to the virtual classroom.

Sessions last 45 minutes to one hour and can be scheduled on an as-needed basis or as recurring weekly appointments with the same tutor. In addition to standard tutoring, the program offers enrichment courses, including introductory coding and Spanish-language classes for 3rd through 5th-graders.

“I hope that Education+ continues to grow and reach even more young students in the years to come,” Lane said. “Expanding our outreach, building stronger partnerships with local educators, and increasing our presence in the Goleta, Santa Barbara, and Carpinteria areas will help ensure that more children can benefit from the resources UCSB students provide.”

The program has capacity for 35 weekly sessions and welcomes students from across California, though it primarily serves school districts in the 805.

“I was excited about getting UCSB students involved to get more passionate individuals interested in education and working hands-on with students,” Lickstein said.

Future plans include expanding enrichment offerings to include STEM design and dance education courses, with hopes of replicating the model on other college campuses.

For more information or to sign up, visit educationplussb.org.