Thank you for your interest in joining Duke’s America Reads/America Counts Program!
Resources to Review prior to the ARAC Tutor Interview Process:
- Visit these these pages to learn and review the requirements and expectations for ARAC tutors: ARAC Policies and Tutor Expectations and the DCA ARAC Webpage.
- You can view the ARAC Tutor Job Description and will be required to sign a contract before your tutoring sessions begin.
- You will be required to attend at lease 1 Orientation and 1 Professional Development Training each semester along with the completion of reflection logs and attendance of monthly tutor meetings.
Do I qualify to work with ARAC? If you are an actively enrolled Duke Graduate or Undergraduate student with a Federal Work-Study allotment as part of your financial aid package, then yes! Please note: Duke Work-Study awards will not be able to receive payment for tutoring with the ARAC Program.
You may also join the ARAC Tutoring Program as a Volunteer!
If you do not have Federal Work-study or if you don’t know if you do, you can:
- Contact the Duke Undergraduate or Graduate Financial Aid Offices to find out if you are eligible for Federal Work-Study.
- You can reach out to Brie Sanders at brianna.sanders@duke.edu to discuss eligibility.
How much do ARAC tutors earn?
- Undergraduate tutors make $15.00 per hour
- Undergraduate Head Tutors make $16.00 per hour
- Graduate Tutors make $17.00 per hour
- Graduate Head Tutors make $18.00 per hour
Is there a minimum weekly commitment? Yes. You must commit to tutoring at least 4 hours per week. You will also be required to submit reflection logs, attend a tutor monthly meeting, and attend in-person professional development trainings.
What types of sites does ARAC partner with?
- Durham Public Schools (Elementary and Middle)
- Local Non-Profit Organizations
- Aftercare Programs
Do I need any special experience to qualify for this job? No. We have found that students from all Duke colleges, studying every subject offered at the University, are wonderful tutors. What is needed most is commitment, reliability, and a desire to be an active educator in the Durham community.
How far are the community partner sites from campus? All ARAC Site Partnerships are within Durham, not exceeding a 15-minute commute. Once you are onboarded as a tutor, the Semester Site Scheduling Tool will inform you of the partnered site locations. ARAC also offers free van transportation to most sites and others are within walking distance.
What kind of work will I do? Will I always be in a classroom setting? Classroom teachers utilize tutors in a variety of ways (individual and small group settings), but tutor feedback indicates that the greatest use of tutors is one-on-one with students identified by the classroom teacher as needing additional support in literacy and/or math content areas. Most classrooms are set up so a tutor can work privately with a student or a small group of students while other classroom activities occur.
What if I am unhappy with the work I am assigned by my teacher, or don’t get along with my teacher?
Your role is to provide academic assistance to students, under the direction and supervision of a teacher. This may take many forms. Your role is not to be a clerical, administrative or disciplinary aide to the teacher. Of course, at times, the classroom teacher may ask for additional assistance to allow a classroom to run smoothly, but, if these are the primary tasks your teacher is giving you, you should contact the ARAC Program Staff. They will help you to discuss your proper role with the teacher. Please don’t wait until the end of the semester to report these issues. They are uncommon, but they do occur. Please notify the ARAC Program Staff as it is happening and we will work with you to improve the situation. We do not want you to be unhappy or poorly utilized in this job. If necessary, we will change your assignment.
What hours are offered for tutoring sessions? ARAC Tutors are in classrooms from Monday to Friday anytime between 8am-8pm. Tutors have the ability to choose tutoring hours that work best with their academic schedule.
How will I find out my ARAC Schedule? The ARAC Program Staff send out a Semesterly Site Scheduling Tool at least one month prior to the tutoring start date where ARAC tutors have access to edit and request specified tutoring session blocks throughout the work week.
