Minot AFB families get free homework help Published Aug. 24, 2011 By Airman 1st Class Jessica McConnell Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- A client services manager demonstrated a free online tutoring program for service members and their families here, Aug. 22. Jennifer Marsh, client services manager for Tutor.com, advised Airmen and their families on how the Defense Department site, www.tutor.com/military, professional tutors can assist with homework, studying, test preparation, resume writing and more. "This site is for military families and is the Defense Department's online, on-demand tutoring and homework help service," said Marsh. "We connect eligible service members and their families one-to-one with one of our 2,500 tutors, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, from any computer anywhere in the world with an Internet connection." U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Army families have had access to the program for more than a year. Seeing the value, Defense Department officials decided to expand the service to encompass all service members and their families, officials said. "Providing 24/7 academic and career support for military families during a time when so many parents have a deployed spouse has been an important and well-received benefit for Marine Corps and Army families," said Tommy T. Thomas, deputy undersecretary of defense for military community and family policy. "We are pleased to expand this program to all U.S. military families and provide peace of mind that their children are never alone when it comes to learning - there is always a certified, professional tutor available to help," he said. Marsh said because military families face an inordinate amount of distractions, including PCS-ing, deployment, and reintegration, even the most dedicated students might not be totally focused at school every day. "They may have academic questions when no one is at home or when their parents or caregivers are busy, Marsh continued. "This site allows students to get help on their own schedule. There are no appointments. The goal of the site is to help students get help efficiently before they get frustrated." Active-duty service members, National Guard and Reserve personnel on active duty in a deployed status, Defense Department civilians in a deployed status and their dependents are eligible to participate, officials said. Along with test preparation, the site is open to students of any age - from kindergartners to high school seniors - for one-on-one help in math, science, social studies and English, including Advanced Placement and honors courses. "Students going to college can also get help, even in courses like statistics and calculus," said Marsh. "In our ProofPoint Center, our tutors provide proofreading and editing in real-time for any type of writing. This service is free for eligible service members and their families." Marsh said 98 percent of the site's students say they would recommend it to a friend, and 86 percent said they would feel more comfortable taking an advanced or AP level course if they knew they would have access to this service. The network includes more than 2,500 professional tutors and career specialists who have delivered more than 5 million one-on-one tutoring sessions since 2001, officials said. Each tutor is certified through the site, and all sessions are recorded for quality control. For more information, visit www.Tutor.com, or visit their page on Facebook and Twitter. Their blog can also be viewed at www.blog.tutor.com. [The American Forces Press Service contributed to this article.]