WHY VOLUNTEER?

Summit provides the perfect opportunity for using your time and talents to help inner-city youth to achieve academic and personal growth in an environment of friendship and support.  As a volunteer, you provide one-on-one attention and serve as a successful adult role model by helping a student with schoolwork and goal-setting. 

• You are needed. You make a difference in the life of an inner-city student in a five-star program!
• You are rewarded. You learn relationship and people skills and will love seeing your student grow!
• It is convenient. You spend just two hours once a week giving your time on a day of your choice!  The commitment is semester  by semester.
• It is structured.  Tutors meet at Summit for two hours per week in a classroom setting.  Volunteers have an initial orientation and ongoing training and support with the program director. 

Our volunteers come from all different backgrounds around the Milwaukee area.

Over 100 men and women dedicate their time once a week to share their talents with Summit's inner city youth. While most volunteers serve as tutors and mentors, others help as career speakers and field trip chaperones.

With the generosity of our volunteers from companies and schools such as Northwestern Mutual, Walgreen Co., Rockwell Automation, Law Firms, Marquette University, UW-Milwaukee, Milwaukee School of Engineering and a host of others, students are challenged to form both good study habits and good relationships.

To Volunteer:

Call us at 414-672-1786 or apply online by downloading and emailing the application to  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or by faxing it to Summit at 414-921-4172.  For more information about the programs, please download the boys and girls program brochures below left.

WHAT'S SO SPECIAL ABOUT SUMMIT?

“Of the dozens of after-school programs, why is Summit so special?” Very simply, here are the ingredients that set us apart:

Structured approach - We do not match a volunteer with a student and then send them out to sink or swim. From the the tutor training and support, to the weekly tutoring schedule, character development talks and goal setting exercises, meetings with the parents, and the sports and fun outings, we support tutors so they can help their student improve most effectively and foster a vision at an early age so they set out on a track to go to college.

Parents - We work with parents. Because parents are the primary educators of the family, gains made at Summit will only be short term if the parents, themselves, do not place a high value on education and character. In order that parents have a better understanding of how to help their child, we make monthly presentations and their child’s tutor meets with them to brainstorm about helping their child.

Excitement - We make sure the kids have a lot of fun.  One of the mentors' goals is to have a great time with their students, during both study and play.  Because academic and personal improvement involves not only the intellect, but also the will, students need motivation, which comes from being engaged and enjoying themselves at Summit.

Camaraderie - Friendship is essential because trust motivates, advice is taken seriously, and good attitudes are formed as a result.  What is most attractive to our students are the friends they make here: their peers, tutors, and program directors all know their names and try to ensure they are dealt with on an individual basis.

Individual Goals - We promote academic and character development in a practical way; it is not theoretical.  Each tutoring session includes a short class and discussion of a virtue.  This is followed by setting daily goals for the following week to help students acquire good habits and provide a focus for the week ahead.  Incentives, friendship, and accountability help the tutor make sure that progress is being made.

Activities - We aim to develop students socially and culturally, as well as intellectually.  Summit is not just a "homework help" program.  Our students look forward to the many fun activities, such as sports, arts, and field trips.

Learning - Tutors use the Socratic Method (dialogue and asking questions, not simply giving answers) to best ascertain the level of understaniding and to help the students improve, both in academics and in character.  The students may otherwise become overwhelmed or bored.  Active learning helps them retain newly learned information and behaviors.

So, you see, Summit is SPECIAL.  Spread the word.