2 UC students launch free online tutoring program during pandemic

CINCINNATI (FOX19) - Two University of Cincinnati undergrads are using technology to connect K-12 students with tutors nationwide.

Education has been different thanks to the coronavirus. Students are no longer in classrooms, and teachers are creating virtual lesson plans.

That is what prompted UC undergrads Noor Ghuniem and Teja Bollimunta, both 20, to launch the free online tutoring platform Brainwave.

“Trying to help students who would normally have access to their tutoring needs through their school and just really keeping in mind that a lot of teachers are bombarded with creating new lesson plans and trying to accommodate with the current situation,” Ghuniem said.

Grade-, middle- and high-school students from across the country can sign up for virtual help in several subjects: math, science, writing, history and college prep.

“People are coming from very different backgrounds, and we’re hearing a lot of different stories," Bollimunta said.

In two weeks’ time, the two say they have brought in 36 tutors who have collectively put in more than 100 hours.

All of the tutors are volunteers, many currently in college. The pair says they are taking steps to ensure students who use the program are safe.

“We monitor the tutors," Ghuniem said. "We gain access to some information that helps us to know that they are safe tutors and safe people to have children and high-schoolers around.”

Even when the pandemic becomes a thing of the past, their plan is to expand.

“Some of our plans are to be able to include free mental health resources by professional counselors," Bollimunta said.

The duo says that anyone who is qualified can sign up to be a tutor, including college students, teachers and beyond.

They are now working on building relationships with local school districts to help as many students as they can.

Anyone who would like to sign up to be a tutor, sign up to be tutored, or learn more about the program can visit the Brainwave website.

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