The credo “by teaching we learn best” is the driving force behind the Unit for Scholastic Tutoring where sci-tech student volunteers combine social involvement with academic achievement in subjects such as Physics, Mathematics, Hebrew language and written expression, and English.

The tutors acquire leadership qualities and tutoring skills at special camps held during vacations and at sessions throughout the school year.

One great aspect of the program is that students from lower socio-economic positions are spared extra costs and receive school-wide assistance while the student volunteers benefit by seeing a rise in their own scores.

More than just a tutoring program, the Unit for Scholastic Tutoring constitutes a quality group and nurtures young leadership, promoting confidence and a desire to contribute to community service. 

UST: Young Physics Tutors

Israel’s most important resource is its human capital. Unfortunately, less than 9% of the student population - amongst both Jews and Arabs - choose to study advanced level physics and mathematics. The Young Tutors in Physics project was developed to confront this challenge. Since its inception, it has made a substantial difference in students’ attitudes towards physics by utilizing creative and innovative teaching methods to attract students’ attention and interest.

Weekly teaching sessions are held at after-school clubs. During these sessions, eleventh grade students teach ninth graders in their respective schools and are responsible for planning and implementing the meetings without needing to rely on the presence of a teacher as a source of authority.

Students use material specially developed for the project, including experiments and hands-on activities like physics at amusement parks, physics through toys, inventions and discoveries, physics in light and radiation, astronomy and sports.

The tutors undergo a training process that provides them with necessary physics tutoring skills, participating in intensive study retreats during the summer vacation, Succoth and Hanukkah. Throughout the school year the tutors meet monthly; in reinforcing their efforts, they have created an Internet forum for networking and sharing experiences.

Each school administration chooses a teacher to oversee the project in terms of logistics, administration, and support.

UST: Towards Matriculation in Physics 

In this program, students commit themselves to successfully passing the advanced level physics matriculation certificate. College students, who provide scholastic support intended to improve matriculation scores in physics and prevent 10th-12th grade students from dropping out of physics, coordinate the project.

The college-age mentors provide individual one-on-one or one-on-two tutoring sessions. In contrast to the Young Physics Tutors program, based upon voluntary after-school group enrichment clubs, tutors in Towards Matriculation in Physics offer individualized study support including weekly meetings and practice marathons.

UST: English Tutors 

Despite English being a mandatory matriculation subject, learning it is never easy. The importance and prominence of English in today’s world is the basis behind the English Tutors project, designed for students who need additional assistance in their English studies, regardless of socio-economic standing.

However, the prime beneficiaries are students from low socio-economic backgrounds or from new immigrant families, who face challenges that other students may not experience. Often, students come from a home where Hebrew is barely spoken, let alone English. Through the English Tutors program, they benefit from additional support with no financial burden.

Throughout the program, students from senior high schools mentor junior high students in one-on-one sessions, utilizing the training they received at a two-day Succoth retreat, and three subsequent nationwide meetings during the school year.

A senior staff teacher guides the student tutors, offering support during tutoring sessions and ensuring that activities run smoothly.

UST: Mathematics Tutors

Senior high school students tutor younger students in Mathematics, to help ready them for high school and, eventually, a high quality matriculation certificate.

The tutors are trained in both content and tutorial skills at two-day Succoth retreat and three subsequent nationwide meetings during the school year. The math tutors receive additional support from a senior staff teacher who supervises tutoring sessions. 

UST: Shalhevet Tutors

The tutors receive training in language and writing skills as well as tutoring skills at a two-day retreat at the beginning of the year and three subsequent sessions during the school year.

Each group of tutors works with a senior staff teacher who accompanies them to training sessions and offers support. Tutoring is done throughout the school day in one of the text-based subjects (literature, history, geography, etc.) during class hours.

Each tutor works with a group of five students, freeing up the teacher to work with the rest of the class. Each session is preceded with a meeting between the teacher and the tutors.

The project operates in sci-tech schools in both Jewish and Arabic speaking communities. In addition, new immigrants from Ethiopia and the former Soviet Union are trained as tutors through empowerment, support and encouragement.

These tutors, some of whom were initially weak scholastically, see a major improvement in their own scores while benefiting from a rise in their self-esteem and popularity among their peers.