Sep 09, 2011 - Claremont, Calif. - Homework Hotline, the Harvey Mudd College (HMC) program that provides free over-the-phone math and science tutoring to local students, opened its phone lines on September 6. Students in grades 4-12 are invited to call the Homework Hotline toll-free at 1-877-8ASK-HMC (1-877-827-5462), Sunday through Thursday, from 6 to 10 p.m., throughout the school year.

Homework Hotline callers speak to HMC's high-achieving math and science undergraduates, who are trained in over-the-phone tutoring and have area schools’ district-adopted mathematics and science textbooks at the ready. Tutors help callers tackle challenging homework problems, never providing answers but instead building problem-solving skills and reinforcing math and science concepts. The program aims to help students become strong, independent learners.

“During our first year of operation, we averaged about 200 callers per month, and a total of 2,278 students received guidance with their homework,” said Homework Hotline director Gabriela Gamiz-Gomez, a former director of Upward Bound Math and Science, a program for first-generation high school students. “By establishing good relationships with local schools, we’ve been able to expand the number of schools we serve this year. It’s exciting to think that now an even greater number of local students will have access to free tutoring in math and science.”

Now in its second year, Homework Hotline employs 29 HMC students and will have about six tutors available per evening. The program, funded by a $125,000 grant from donors James and Marilyn Simons, is based on the successful Homework Hotline model at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, an Indiana college that, like HMC, specializes in engineering, science and mathematics education.

For more information, call 909.607.4015 or go to http://www.askhmc.org.

Program contact:               
Gabriela Gamiz-Gomez           
Homework Hotline Director           
909.607.4015                    
gabriela_gamiz-gomez@hmc.edu       

Media contact:
Judy Augsburger
Sr. Director Communications
909.607.0713
judy_augsburger@hmc.edu