Paper Airplanes is an organization that sets up online English tutoring for language learners affected by conflict. The students are young adults, primarily in the age range of 18 to 35, who have been affected by conflict in the Middle East and North Africa. Most of the students are native Arabic speakers who wish to improve their English in order to pursue further education and employment opportunities. Click here for a link to a video about the program.

Paper Airplanes is currently accepting applications from people who wish to serve as volunteer tutors for the next tutorial term (January 21st to May 19th, 2019). Prospective volunteers can apply by clicking here.

The tutoring time commitment is two hours per week: one-and-a-half hours of meeting with a student and thirty minutes of preparation reviewing the Paper Airplanes curriculum prior to lessons. There is also a three- to four-hour training session that tutors must complete prior to being paired with a student. The Paper Airplanes staff matches tutors and students based on gender, age, English proficiency, the tutor’s Arabic proficiency (if any), and academic interests.

An email interview with Ms. Gabby Wimer, the English Program Manager, can be found just below. For further information, please write to her [email protected].

Interview with Gabby Wimer:

Q: Are tutoring sessions free-of-charge for students?

A: Yes, tutoring is free for students.

 

Q: Are tutors (or students) provided with headsets and other materials necessary for online instruction?

A: No, we do not provide these materials, though some of our partners who refer students to us do have computer labs with headsets available. This means students attend their lessons using a mix of phones and computers.

 

Q: Are tutoring sessions scheduled by Paper Airplanes or can students and tutors decide for themselves when to meet each session?

A: Each pair decides when they meet. We recommend setting a day and time, but pairs are free to reschedule as needed.

 

Q: What teaching/lesson materials are tutors provided? To what extent can tutors create, modify, or supplement lesson plans and materials?

A: Tutors are given access to our tutor toolkit, which contains two semesters’ worth of materials for our four levels (beginner, lower intermediate, upper intermediate, and advanced) as well as additional resources. Tutors are encouraged to modify our curriculum and bring in outside materials to best meet the needs of their student.

 

Q: How far in advance of each tutoring session are tutors provided with the curriculum/lesson plans?

A: Tutors are given access to the whole tutor toolkit at the start of the term. It contains all of the lesson plans for each level and semester.

 

Q: What specifically does the training entail? How far in advance of the first tutoring session does the training take place?

A: The tutor training covers a range of topics including Background on the Syria Crisis, Intercultural Communication, Working with Survivors of Trauma, and How to Use the Paper Airplanes Curriculum. Tutors are invited to the tutor training, hosted on Google Classroom, as soon as they accept their position as a tutor.

 

Q: Is Arabic proficiency required for tutors? What levels of proficiency are required or preferred? Will tutors be tested on their proficiency, or will they need to provide documentation (transcripts, test scores, etc.)?

A: Arabic proficiency is not required and we rely on self-reporting. We match tutors without Arabic proficiency with students who have more advanced levels of English.

 

Q: Can students request certain tutors? Do tutors or students have options to deny and request alternative matches?

A: Students can request to continue working with the same tutor from term to term, as can tutors. Otherwise, all the matching occurs using our self-designed system which takes age, gender, Arabic proficiency, and academic interests into account. We don’t allow tutors and students to be re-matched unless there are serious scheduling issues or other extenuating circumstances.

 

Q: Upon acceptance into the program, are tutors asked to sign a contract (agreeing to serve the duration of the program and any other agreements)?

A: Yes, tutors are asked to sign a volunteer commitment form and a confidentiality agreement.

 

Q: How long can a tutor serve in the program? How can tutors assume senior/operational roles?

A: Tutors can volunteer with us for as many terms as they would like. If they are interested in assuming greater responsibility, they can become tutor coordinators. Tutor coordinators are experienced tutors and/or English language education professionals who provide support to a cohort of tutors. Additionally, as a growing nonprofit, Paper Airplanes offers opportunities for interested tutors to become involved in other aspects of the organization.