The teacher in the living room

CSE student breaks down educational barriers by bringing virtual volunteer tutors to students in need

Dec. 5, 2022

Jinglin Li was a high school junior in Rochester, Minnesota, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. She adjusted well to remote learning, but noticed that her elementary-age siblings were challenged by the sudden shift out of the classroom and onto a screen.

“I knew if my siblings were struggling, other students and families had to be struggling, too,” said Li, now an undergraduate student majoring in computer science at the University of Minnesota College of Science and Engineering—and a recipient of multiple UMN scholarships, including the Cargill thrive Scholarship.

That’s where Living Room Tutors comes in. Li decided to launch a web-based tutoring service for students from kindergarten through grade 12. The idea was straightforward: students who needed some academic help would be matched with volunteer educators and receive one-on-one instruction every week. A crucial differentiator? All tutoring services would be free.

Now, Living Room Tutors serves hundreds of students, with tutors and students from across the United States taking part in the program.

Read the full story on the University of Minnesota Giving website.

If you’d like to support students in the University of Minnesota College of Science and Engineering, visit our CSE Giving website.