“Getting through that initial wall can be challenging,” according to Cassie Fiorino, head of peer tutoring at AFS. “Pretty soon, though, most students start to really enjoy being tutored by a peer. It’s another teenager, after all. We know the teachers and what they want and we’re familiar with the course and the textbooks.”

Peer tutoring has existed for many years at AFS, says Director of the Wilf Learning Center Randy Schwartz. Juniors and seniors in particular have taken on tutoring their peers as a way to build community and help each other.

Students can sign up for ongoing tutoring or specific help with a tough assignment or an area in which they’re struggling. The most frequent requests for tutoring are in Physics and Spanish, followed closely by Geometry.

Peer tutors earn community service hours for their tutoring, but the motivation goes beyond that. For Ben Forman ’15, who took over the leadership role from Cassie, it’s about gaining skills that will help him in the world outside AFS. “I like to take on different leadership positions,” he says, “and I figured this would teach me organizational and leadership skills.”