EAST AURORA, NY (WKBW) — The Rural Outreach Center in East Aurora is helping more than 20 students get back on track to success.
According to the National School Boards Association, in 2022, almost every rural public school student fell behind a grade level in Math and English.
The ROC Squad is an experience for students living in poverty or rural Erie County to get mentorship and homework help.
"Our kids out here are isolated, so when we can get them to the ROC, it's not just about meeting one-on-one with their tutor," said Nichole Barrett, the ROC Squad Program Director. "They get to see their friends, and they get to see a whole different care team of humans here that are fighting for them and are rooting them on."
Tutors and mentors like Nancy Bauchat, a retired teacher, say it is worthwhile to see the kids who once struggled now excel.
"We just kind of adopt all of these kids as we just love them, we want to help them, we want to give back, and this is the perfect way to do so," said Bauchat.
You can find more information at the ROC Squad here.
