Confluence Academy students are getting a jump-start on their college experience. Forty Confluence Academy students in grades 4th through 8th have been selected to participate in a tutoring program sponsored by members of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) and the Engineering Council. The participants meet in lecture style classrooms on Washington University’s campus on selected Saturdays for two-hour sessions with their mentors. “One hour is dedicated to tutoring in mathematics, and during the other hour, mentors help students explore their academic, college, and career interests,” reports Erica Garry, who organized Confluence’s participation in the project.

The tutoring program was started during the 2006-2007 school year with students from the Walnut Park campus. This year the program has been expanded to include students from all three campuses. "This program has really helped my son to improve his MAP scores. He scored proficient on the MAP in math," said Ms. Shelton, mother of Walnut Park 4th grader Deon Jackson, who is now in his second year participating in the tutoring program.

The Washington University chapter of NSBE is dedicated to increasing the number of Black students interested in the fields of engineering, applied science, and engineering technology. The program has already sparked student interest in these careers. During the session, 7th grader Maurice Williams inquired, ”What does it take to become an engineer, and how much do you make?”