Cooper Smithson: Cambridge Folk Musician, Rock Star Tutor

On a recent Wednesday evening, the cafeteria at Fletcher Maynard Academy, a public elementary school in The Port, buzzes with activity as students and adult volunteers work on homework, practice academic skills, and play games. Among the volunteers is 24-year-old Cooper Smithson, who has been tutoring a fifth grader named Yohana since last February. He joined Tutoring Plus after learning about the program through Cambridge Volunteers.

“I really enjoy kids and teaching and connecting with whatever they’re doing that day and whatever emotional state they’re in,” he explains. Cooper draws on his previous job experience as a math tutor to support Cambridge students like Yohana. He says he and Yohana are a good match because “she's often willing to show her silly side" and he enjoys being silly, too.

Cooper began volunteering because he wanted part of his life to revolve around working with kids. Outside of tutoring, he’s also a singer-songwriter who plays guitar and harmonica. After graduating from college in South Carolina, he moved to Cambridge, drawn to its sense of community. He performs at local venues such as CCTV and The Foundry, spaces known for welcoming community members. At Tutoring Plus, Cooper helps Yohana with her homework or else they play games like UNO or hangman to build math, spelling and language skills.

On days when staying focused is difficult, Cooper encourages her to take breaks and they play basketball or go for a walk. Yohana appreciates his help:

“Whenever I have drama, he helps me forget it. Whenever I don’t know, he helps me. He

gives me strategies and I use them in class.”

Tutoring Plus aims to narrow the "opportunity gap" by offering free tutoring and mentoring to Cambridge students, explains Program Director Jordan Harvey. The organization currently serves more than 230 students spread among three programs: one-on-one tutoring, drop-in support and summer academic enrichment.

“Volunteers are the most important thing. They let us enroll more students from our waitlist,” Harvey says. This year has seen one of Tutoring Plus's strongest starts, with 15 new tutors from Cambridge Volunteers who, he underscores, “are just rock stars. They came in ready to go and knew how to work with kids.”

—

Photos and text: Jodi Hilton (jodihilton.com)

We are indebted to Jodi, Yohana, Cooper (instagram channel @see.ooper), and Jordan and his team at Tutoring Plus for this Volunteer Spotlight.

Click here to learn more about Tutoring Plus and how to get involved.

You can help Cambridge Volunteers connect more volunteers like Cooper with the local nonprofits that need them. Support local volunteerism with a contribution today at www.cambridgevolunteers.org/donate.