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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
MONDAY, AUGUST 25, 2014
PAGE 3
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Clutch Prep offers free online tutorials
BETH FENTRESS
@ElizaFentress
A free online site called Clutch Prep is offering textbook-specific online tutorials for math and science classes.
The site allows students from the top 125 American universities, including the University of Kansas, to look up their school and textbooks to find the tutorials.
KU students taking Chemistry I and II, Calculus I, Statistics I, Physics I and Organic Chemistry I can go online and receive free tutoring videos.
"I absolutely would [use Clutch Prep]," said Emily Nisson, a senior from Chicago. "It sounds very
similar to anything related to Khan Academy, and I think it's a great resource to have outside of meeting with your teacher."
Clutch Prep started out as a tutoring business in Miami four years ago.
It started with two college students who were really good at tutoring," said Patrick O'Keefe, Clutch Prep's vice president of marketing. "They wanted to see if they could help other students and make it into a real business."
Marcio Souza and Johnny Betancourt, who were fraternity brothers at the Florida International University, began offering tutoring sessions for FLU students. As the program's
popularity grew, the duo put videos online to meet the demands of students.
"... I think it's a great resource to have outside of meeting with your teacher."
EMILY NISSON Senior from Chicago
Once the content hit the Internet, the team realized many math and science textbooks at different universities have similar content and teach similar concepts and their ambitious idea was born.
During the summer of
2014, Clutch Prep did an experimental launch of the online program to 20 universities. After receiving feedback, the group opened up the site's options to 125 universities this year, allowing KU students the access. Currently the site has a total of 5,600 users.
"For some universities, like the University of Central Florida, we have a couple hundred users," O'Keefe said. "For other ones, we maybe only have 30."
Ten KU students have used the site, but some students are wary about using the site. "I prefer to have the specific books and teacher," said Zizhen Pei, a sophomore from China studying prepharmacy. "I can ask a
question when I mistakenly Antoine Baggett, a freshman from Brookings, S.D., also said he prefers face-to-face learning.
question when I finish class."
"I think a classroom setting promotes communication," Baggett said. "I think active communication, physical communication is a little bit better than online communication. It works a little bit more efficiently."
Artem Volos, chief financial officer and chief operating officer for Clutch Prep. said sometimes students are apprehensive about the online learning.
"A lot of people initially feel like, 'Oh, I'm not really going to learn, I want face-to-face [instruction] because it's so much better,' " Volos said.
Welcome back, Jayhawks! There are only 33 class days left till Fall Break and 74 left till Stop Day. You can make it!
However, Volos said the retention rate is about 85 percent for the site with students coming back for the tutoring videos. Students can also post questions about the videos, and one of the tutors will respond within several days.
The group also plans to expand by adding more classes, such as Biology, Balculus II, Trigonometry, Physics II and College Algebra.
CCO hosts 'Super Service' volunteer event
ALICIA GARZA
@AliciaoftheUDK
Edited by Yu Kyung Lee
The Center for Community Outreach (CCO) held Super Service Saturday this weekend on the fifth floor of the Kansas Union, where students signed up to volunteer in the Lawrence community.
Students signed up to volunteer at 19 sites, including the Campus Garden, Burroughs Creek Trail, Centennial Park and many others.
Before Super Service Saturday began, Micah Melia, a senior from Prairie Village co-running the event, said they were expecting around 400-450 people. A total of 494 students volunteered.
We'll see kind of what happens when people get here, but it's going to be a lot of fun, a great way for people to meet
people, and to learn a little about the service that CCO is doing throughout the year." Melia said before the event started.
"... I've heard a lot of good things about CCO, I just thought, I want to be a part of this."
ALEXANDER DANG Sophomore from Shawnee
While many freshmen attended Super Service Saturday as a Hawk week event, other freshmen came out for the volunteer work.
"I always did community service back in Overland Park, so now I need something to do
for the community," said Mykell Ma, a freshman from Overland Park.
Super Service Saturday wasn't just a freshman-exclusive event as older students showed up for a first time experience also.
"I thought about doing it my freshman year and now that I'm finally here, I had some time to get situated in Lawrence beforehand, I thought, I mean, why not?" said Alexander Dang, a sophomore from Shawnee. "I know a lot of people do it and I've heard a lot of good things about CCO, I just thought, I want to be a part of this."
For more information about volunteering, the University Career Center is holding a volunteer fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sept. 3, on the fourth floor of the Kansas Union.
Edited by Benjamin Carroll
Students sign up to volunteer around the Lawrence community at Super Service Saturday this weekend. Students volunteered at 19 sites. The event was part of Hawk Week for freshmen but was open to all students.
ALICIA GARZA/KANSAN
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