MAYWOOD, CA – JULY 28: A woman browses the books at the grand reopening of the Maywood Cesar Chavez Library after pandemic closures and extensive renovations in Maywood on Wednesday, July 28, 2021. The 100-year-old library now has fresh paint, a new floor plan, 4 adult computers, 2 homework center computers, and 2 early learning computers, as well as a laptop vending machine with 12 laptops for in-library public use. (Photo by Brittany Murray/MediaNews Group/Long Beach Press-Telegram via Getty Images)
Does your child want to learn more about math or language arts, but they're struggling to make sense of the subject on their own?
Good news: every Californian can now access free online tutoring at any hour of the day, thanks to a new initiative offering educational resources to K-12 students and adult learners.
The resource is part of an investment in public libraries announced Monday by California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Real-time homework help is now available "on the websites of any of the 1,130 local public libraries around the state," and at this link here provided in Newsom's statement.
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The HelpNow pilot program currently offers help in Math and Language Arts, in English and Spanish, at any time of the day or night. Help for "other core K-12 subjects" is available between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. in English, Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese, and Tagalog, with no age limit to who can take advantage of the resource.
Adults can also "access writing assistance, citizenship resources and other tools," the statement reads.
The program is led by the California State Library, with the goal of providing "guidance and help" to students so they can better understand subjects and answer questions on their own.
The tutors that are taking part in the program have all "passed background checks and possess, at a minimum, a bachelor’s degree," according to the State Library webpage for the program. They are also "familiar with state curriculum and standards" according to the Governor's statement.
You can use the online resource via smartphone, tablet or computer, so long as you're in the state of California.
And according to the state library, "users who have a valid library card can log into the service and receive additional benefits."
The program is part of the first round of a $439 million Building Forward Library Improvement Grant Program, which also recently gave "$254 million in grants to public libraries in 172 cities across 34 counties," the Governor's statement reads.
Learn more about the HelpNow tutoring program here.
