Downtown lawyer recruits 22 new tutors for Be The Change

When Andy Kaplan, a partner at Vorys law firm, first heard about Be The Change—a collaborative tutor recruitment program that serves students within the Cincinnati Public Schools district—signing up wasn’t a question.
 
“I always liked working with kids,” Kaplan says. “And my wife is an English teacher, and I have a son who did Teach for America, who is now teaching in the elementary school grades, so I knew I had some great resources for helping kids learn to read.”
 
After making a phone call, Kaplan found himself at Hays Porter Elementary School in the West End. Within a close proximity to his firm, Kaplan was able to begin tutoring during his lunch break once a week.
 
Now in his third year of tutoring, Kaplan has since recruited 22 other lawyers—more than 25 percent of Vorys’ lawyers in Cincinnati—to join in the effort.
 
“I thought, ‘We’ve got like 80 lawyers in our Cincinnati office,’ and figured there had to be a number of people who would find this attractive,” Kaplan says. “So I publicized it and called a meeting for people who had any interest.”
 
For Kaplan, tutoring is a special experience not only because he’s helping children succeed, but also because of the bond he’s able to form with students through literacy sponsorship.
 
“Virtually every single time I went to tutor, I’d come home with some moment that really kind of affected me—sort of an unexpected moment,” Kaplan says. “Like when my student last year would say to me, ‘Me and my daddy read that magazine you gave me over the weekend together,’ which is just what you’re hoping for.” 

Do Good:

• Sign up as a Be The Change tutor. 

• Learn more about the need for tutors, and tell a friend. 

• Support your local school districts. 

By Brittany York

Brittany York is a professor of English composition at the University of Cincinnati and a project manager for Charitable Words. She also edits the For Good section of SoapboxMedia.