Fieldwork / Bridging the Economic Divide

Bridging the Economic Divide

By Eric Hillegas

Eric Hillegas has a vision: Inner city students engaged in free tutoring programs to increase their chances of graduating from high school and continuing on to a college education.

During his tenure as associate priest at St. Mary’s in the Upham’s Corner section of Dorchester, Mass., Hillegas saw a great need for programs to break the cycle of academic failure that often plagues inner city neighborhoods. According to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 69% of the 10th graders at Dorchester’s Jeremiah E. Burke High School who took the MCAS English test in 2008 either failed or needed improvement. In math, 72% fit one of those two categories.

The school has a 23% drop out rate, and its four-year graduation rate is 40%.

A seed grant from The Diocese of Massachusetts’ Episcopal City Mission brought Episcopal City Tutoring to life.

Hillegas’ funding model was simple: Invite congregations in affluent suburban communities to partner with Episcopal City Tutoring to offer quality SAT prep tutoring at market rate pricing in their community, using the net proceeds to underwrite a similar program in the inner city.

“The program creates a concrete partnership between urban and suburban parishes, “ explains Hillegas. “It forges new relationships between our churches and expanding our mission to the broader community.”

“This kind of partnership is as old as the Christian Church,” explained Hillegas. “When St. Paul was travelling around the ancient Mediterranean and planting churches in affluent cities like Philippi and Corinth he was also gathering a collection of money for the poor church in Jerusalem. I’d like to build on that model by using a tool that wasn’t available to Paul: the capital market. By tapping into our established network of church buildings, we’d like to establish profitable tutoring centers in affluent cities and then send that money to the poor neighborhoods of Dorchester.”

From Idea to Reality

Finding the first partner was the challenge. Hillegas prayed for guidance. He began talking with people about the program and soon, a door opened.

Kali Reynolds, a member of Christ Church in suburban Hamilton, Mass. was seeking to do something different with her life. An experienced teacher and tutor, Reynolds had been thinking of starting a test prep tutoring service but felt called to do something more. “I was looking for something more globally helpful than one-on-one tutoring,” Reynolds said. A mutual friend introduced her to Hillegas. Reynolds described their first conversation as “An answer to what I had been seeking; a way to use my teaching skills for a greater purpose. Eric’s program felt like an answer to my prayers.”

More conversations followed. In February 2010, Hillegas and Reynolds brought their idea to the rectors of St. Mary’s and Christ Church. Both Cathy George at St. Mary’s and Patrick Gray at Christ Church agreed to donate church facilities for the tutoring program. The program would run in two distinct phases with the Hamilton based program beginning in August and the Upham’s Corner program starting in early 2011, using the proceeds from the Hamilton-based program to offer free tutoring to city youth.

Reynolds took on the role of Christ Church site manager. Two tutors were hired, the curriculum set. The tutors, students at nearby Gordon College, hope to continue with the program when it moved from Hamilton to Dorchester.

The 10-week program is built around the “College Board Official SAT Study Guide” with students taking a weekly test to identify areas of needing improvement. The fee was set at $800, priced slightly below other SAT prep programs on Massachusetts’ North Shore.

In early summer, Hillegas and Reynolds began to promote the program’s first session, scheduled to begin on August 5. The goal was two fold: prepare at least eight students for the October 9 SAT test and raise enough money through tuition to provide free tutoring to a similar number of students at St. Mary’s.

First Night

On the first night of the program, two tutors prepared Christ Church’s modular classrooms for the first students. To help students feel welcome, Reynolds had test prep packets and notebooks ready for each student; she also provided an array of snacks and beverages.

Emily, the first student to arrive, when asked why she chose the Christ Church SAT tutoring program, shared “I was going to take the course anyway; I like the idea that with this program my tuition makes it possible for someone else to benefit from the same course.”

“Students understand that their decision to take their SAT test prep course at Christ Church will make it possible for someone else to have the same opportunity,” said Reynolds. “The families supporting this program are doing what they would be doing anyway; choosing this program is a way to act on their own faith and joyful response to what God is calling us to do.”

The 10-week program at Christ Church ended October 7, with students taking the SATs on October 9. A second tutoring session is underway, with new courses in English and Writing, Algebra, Pre-calculus, Calculus, Chemistry, and Biology offered. Reynolds shared “We had 4 of our 6 students take the SAT in October. Our students reported their SAT score results: one increased by 120 points, one by 200 points, and one received a perfect score of 800 on the Critical Reading. I am pleased with this outcome! We continue with four students this round, and hope for word of mouth to spread this ‘good news’ tutoring program!”

Upham’s Corner

While Reynolds was running the program at Christ Church, Hillegas continued work on the St. Mary’s based program, which began on Monday, November 1, three months ahead of his original schedule. “It all continues to be very exciting,” shares Hillegas. “Kali has done a fabulous job building and maintaining the Hamilton program - and we've made tremendous headway on our Dorchester program, opening it two months ahead of schedule! The story gets even better. Our site manager for the Dorchester program is Felicia Waldron, daughter of Fr. Ed Waldron - a former priest at St. Mary's (now deceased). Felicia has returned to St. Mary's to help the parish in this new chapter of life. Also, one of our Hamilton tutors, Gavin, will perform double duty as a math tutor in Dorchester, ensuring the same quality of curriculum in both locations.”

Following the success of the program at Christ Church, Hillegas continues to work on building relationships with other affluent parishes. He sees this program as a way for congregations to live out their discipleship in the world by sharing their gifts with people in need. His goal is to establish the program in a number of parishes within the Diocese, eventually spreading the model beyond Massachusetts.

Hillegas stresses, “The program has no religious component, however I believe this type of program is an integral part of our Christian mission. We are called to proclaim the Gospel in word and deed. Offering low-cost or free programs to meet community needs is part of the mission of the Episcopal Church and part of a long tradition at St. Mary’s. Dorchester youth need help; this program can open doors to higher education to bright kids who come from families that never went to college or completed high school.”

To learn more about Episcopal City Tutoring, contact Eric Hillegas at: eric.hillegas@gmail.com.



Bridging the Economic Divide
By Eric Hillegas


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  • Students work 1:1 with English and math tutors during each session.