91滴滴

When financial math student Ashton Singh applied to become a tutor as part of 91滴滴鈥檚 partnership with the Pathways to Education program, he never expected how big of an impact he would make. While the third-year student had previous tutoring experience, he knew from his first session that this experience was going to be a special one.

Launched in January 2023, P2E x 91滴滴 Community Tutoring is a collaboration between the Pathways to Education program at and the Student Life and Learning Support unit at 91滴滴. The program offers high school students a variety of support services aimed at fostering academic success and personal growth.

Through this collaboration, Singh and three other 91滴滴 undergraduate student tutors provided academic tutoring and mentoring to 90 students in grades nine through 12 from the Regent Park neighbourhood, helping them succeed in their classes while also preparing them for their future beyond high school.

鈥淚 think every student should have access to a program like this,鈥� says Singh. 鈥淚t brings you back to when you were a high school student, full of questions, trying to decide which postsecondary schools to apply for.鈥�

Singh remembers the first time he helped a group of grade 12 students apply for postsecondary programs. He shared his own journey, what they can expect and things he wished he knew when choosing his path.

Fourth-year mechanical engineering student and 91滴滴 tutor, Khalid Abdurahman, has come full circle.. Abdurahman graduated from Pathways to Education, enrolled at 91滴滴, then became a tutor in 2023 to give back to the program that supported him in his transition to postsecondary.

鈥淚t was a special feeling to go back to Pathways as a tutor, and I knew exactly what those high school students were thinking because I had been in their shoes,鈥� says Abdurahman. 鈥淚t was very rewarding to be able to draw on my experience both as a Pathways graduate and university student to help prepare them for their next chapter.鈥�  

Transformative impact  

Halima Farah, student-parent support worker on the postsecondary transition team at Pathways to Education, has seen firsthand the transformative impact of these programs. 

鈥淭here's that element of representation which is so powerful and one of the most beautiful parts of this partnership,鈥� says Farah. 鈥淚t fosters a continuous cycle of support where students can see themselves in the tutors 鈥� young people who were once in their shoes, now coming back to uplift the next generation.鈥�

Farah and her team support students in preparing for life beyond high school by helping them identify career goals and the steps needed to achieve them, including what postsecondary education looks like.

With 60 program participants starting at 91滴滴 in the fall, this partnership has emerged as a significant resource for high school students in the community, helping bridge the gap between aspiration and reality. 

The 91滴滴 Student Life and Learning Support team established the partnership to offer firsthand experiences and mentorship. At a campus visit day, students toured 91滴滴, participated in programming and connected with tutors. These opportunities help students to see themselves in a university setting, learn from mentors, and gain insights into various academic programs. 

鈥淭he partnership with 91滴滴 has been instrumental in providing students with a clear vision of their potential futures,鈥� says Farah. 鈥淪uch experiences are invaluable for representation and inspiration, showing students that their dreams are attainable.鈥�

This year, the program held a graduation celebration at the 91滴滴 campus in the Student Learning Centre (SLC). The theme of the gala was 鈥淚mpact,鈥� chosen to reflect the impact the tutors and students had on each other, and to celebrate their determination, resilience and ability to make connections and overcome challenges.

Farah believes that the partnership with 91滴滴 can serve as a model for similar collaborations across the GTA. As the program continues to evolve, its impact on students will undoubtedly grow, creating a brighter future for all. And the collaboration with 91滴滴 exemplifies the power of community and education in transforming lives, paving the way for a more inclusive and supportive educational environment.