New to the site? Hover over 'Chapters' and choose your location.
Who we are:
The Merry Tutor is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides free tutoring to K-12 students and offers high school students the opportunity to volunteer as tutors.
It is our mission to provide tutees with an approachable learning environment and to offer tutors a way to develop valuable leadership skills.
Our concept is simple -- students helping students -- yet it is so unique. We have created an easily replicated system that can be started up in any community. The tutees, the tutors, and the community all benefit from what we have to offer.
How we operate:
The Merry Tutor currently has multiple centers in two communities, Naperville and Aurora, IL. To see specific hours within each community, hover over the 'chapters' tab. We generally tutor out a community's local library or teen center.
If you would like to recieve notifications on The Merry Tutor hours and other updates, sign up to our email list or check out social media pages:
The Merry Tutor is a drop-in free tutoring organization, so no appointments are necessary. Students can stop by any time during our hours for assistance. No hassles for parents/families with prescheduling. We operate on a first-come first-serve basis. Tutoring sessions are capped at 30 minutes if there is an overflow of tutees, so there is never more than a 15 minute wait time.
We ask that students bring the materials they would like to work on to The Merry Tutor, so we can more effectively target specific areas. Generally, these materials are homework assignments, in-class worksheets, and school textbooks. We recommend that students who would like to work on subject areas not covered in class ask their teachers for supplementary materials or check out our suggested resources page (here).
When tutees comes in for the first time, parents must come in to register them. During this quick registration process, we get contact information and let you know more about our policies (view them below). After each session, your child should receive a session summary to inform you of the progress and areas in need of attention for the next session. Also, we ask for feedback to help us improve our service to your student and the community.
About
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does tutoring cost?
The Merry Tutor provides FREE tutoring. Tutors are high school student volunteers.
Does my child need an appointment?
Nope! The Merry Tutor is a drop-in tutoring service. No appointments are necessary. Just stop by your local location any time during its hours!
Does my child need to bring any materials?
We ask that students bring in the materials they would like to work on, so we can more effectively target specific areas. Generally, these materials include homework assignments, in-class worksheets, and school textbooks.
For what subjects do you provide tutoring?
We provide tutoring in all core subject areas, including math, science, language arts, and social sciences. If your child wants help outside of these areas, have him/her visit us, and we'll see what we can do.
What age range of students do you tutor?
The target audience of The Merry Tutor is elementary and junior high school students. However, our tutors are honors and AP high school students who are often taking classes a few years above their grade levels, so if your high school student is looking for help, have him/her check us out!
The online application form asks for my teacher's contact information. Where do I find this?
Check your school's website. If their contact information is not posted there, ask your teacher when you let them know you are using them as your reference.
How do I thank tutors for helping my child?
Our tutors cannot accept any form of payment from tutees. However, if you would like to give back to these tutors, a simple thank you note can make a tutor's day. In addition, you can also head to our 'Donate' page, so The Merry Tutor can continue to make it possible for your child to work with our amazing tutors.
This seems like a fantastic idea, but I don't live in Aurora or Naperville. How can I benefit from this services?
Sounds like you might want to look in to starting up a chapter in your area. The purpose of The Merry Tutor is to be an easily replicated model that can benefit communities across the globe. The concept is simple-- students helping students-- but it can make a world of a difference in your community. If you are interested in bringing The Merry Tutor to your community, contact us below!
​