The Magic of Acquiring New Skills

Duke students pair up with elementary students in a local tutoring program to work on the three Rs

A little child walking down a community center hallway with a college student
Duke student Darren Young share a laugh in the Lyon Park community center in Durham, where they work on math and reading skills.

Something magical happens when a child develops a talent or acquires a new skill.

Each day, inside of a brightly lit classroom at the Community Family Life & Recreation Center at Lyon Park in West Durham, a small group of Duke University tutors help create that magic with elementary school-age youngsters.

The pairs work together as part of the center’s CommUNITY Scholars, an after-school tutoring program for elementary students. The program is one of 14 schools and learning centers throughout Durham partnered with Duke University’s America Reads and America Counts (ARAC) program, which provides student tutors to the local programs.

From Monday through Friday, the Duke students arrive at learning spaces like the community center to team up with a child for one-on-one or small group tutoring or homework help in reading and math.

Here, Barbara Parker-Hayes, a retired educator, is presiding over the class. There’s Sarah, with a head full of thick, frizzy braids and a pink Girl Power T-shirt being tutored by Jaemin Kim, a sophomore math major who is also pursuing a certificate in health policy.

Duke student tutor Jaemin Kim and first grader Sarah

Sarah’s a first grader with superpowers: She’s already reading on a second-grade level and writing in cursive.

Adonis is in kindergarten too. His superpower? He’s reading on the first-grade level. His tutor is Darren Yong, a first-year who wants to major in neuroscience.

“I know what 9 plus 10 is,” Adonis said, age five. “19! I been knowing that, for like 10 years!”

Duke student Darren Yong and Adonis happily at work

Tremain is sitting in the back of the classroom, where he’s working with Sierra Fontenot, a graduating computer sciences and psychology major.

Tremain has been attending the afterschool tutoring program since February. But he already has a superpower.

“He just did some perfect ‘S’s’ today,” Fontenot said, while holding up his work. Tremain’s “E’s” look nice too.

Photo of Duke student Sierra Fontenot seated at a working with kindergartner Tremain.
Duke senior Sierra Fontenot reads with kindergartner Tremain

Alivia is a second grader, sitting at a table in front of the class working toward a superpower on subject-verb agreement with Austin Setzler, a Duke math major. Alivia said she wants to be a math teacher when she grows up and “help my students get good grades.”

“I really love teaching,” said Setzler, who has worked with the program for the past three semesters. “But mostly, I enjoy doing something in the community.”

Second-grader Alivia is writing at her desk while Duke tutor Austin Setzler looks on.
Alivia with Duke tutor Austin Setzler

Launched in 1997, next year ARAC will celebrate 30 years of helping to improve the reading levels and math skills of primary school children in Durham.

Domoniqúe V. Redmond, senior director for education with Duke Community Affairs, emphasized the importance of children learning these core skills during their early elementary years. “It helps to build the … confidence students need to succeed in the classroom and beyond,” she said. Her department manages ARAC as well as Leap2School, which was created in 2024 to support pre-K curriculum in partnership with pre-K teachers and programs.

“I’ve learned that I want to preserve and treasure my own curiosity always. I want to retain their enthusiasm for new superpowers.”

Duke Tutor Darren Yong

Redmond said the tutors work on measurable outcomes with the children, including reading at or above grade level and strengthening their writing and math skills. During the spring and summer semesters, more than 80 Duke tutors have worked with school children.

Yong, who works with Adonis, has enjoyed his time as a tutor.

“You learn so much about yourself,” he said, “and we have fun.”

Yong said that the students he’s worked with “never fail to be perpetually curious.

“I’ve learned that I want to preserve and treasure my own curiosity always,” he explained. “I want to retain their enthusiasm for new superpowers.”