Heart Math Tutoring ("Heart" or "HMT"), a local nonprofit dedicated to building strong math foundations and academic confidence in elementary students, is kicking off volunteer tutor recruitment for the upcoming school year. HMT is calling on the Charleston community to commit just one hour a week to tutor and mentor a student, with a goal of recruiting 240 volunteers to serve 200 students across five partner schools, meeting weekly from October to April.
With just one hour per week, HMT tutors make a big difference for elementary students. Tutoring is provided at no cost to families or schools, and students are nominated to participate by their schools if they are testing behind grade level. With only 60% of Charleston County fourth graders testing proficient in math (2025 SC READY), this extra support to strengthen foundational skills is crucial for students' academic success. Tutors' consistency and encouragement also provide mentorship that helps raise students' confidence and outlook toward both math and school. In 2025/26, 97% of 1st-5th grade students who completed Heart Math Tutoring's program showed measurable math growth, and 90% of teachers reported increased student confidence in math because of their enrollment in HMT.
"Our volunteers deliver an easy-to-follow, guided curriculum, but their impact goes well beyond that. They become a mentor and an extra cheerleader for their student, celebrating every gain in learning and confidence along the way. And they do all of this without adding extra workload for teachers or any cost to families," says Madison Anderson, Heart Math Tutoring's Executive Director of the Charleston Region.
HMT is looking for volunteers who are passionate about supporting young students at the start of their academic journey and improving education outcomes for the Charleston community. No math expertise or prior teaching experience is necessary to become a volunteer and have a positive impact. To ensure tutors are set up for success, HMT provides training, a game-based, scripted curriculum, and on-site support from an HMT Program Coordinator at every tutoring session. Interested volunteers can view school partners and tutoring times and sign up online at www.heartmathtutoring.org.