AURORA, Colo. — There's no question that some tutoring services can be costly for families.
That's why two brothers, Salahdiin and Abdullahi Adan, took it upon themselves to fill a need they saw within their community.
“The community, they don't have a lot of resources and a lot of tutors, especially in low-income areas,” said Salahdiin.
“I saw the issue, and I wanted to help out my community,” he added.
So Bright Minds tutoring was born. It's an initiative where the brothers offer free one-on–one tutoring with students.
"We tutor younger students leading up to eighth grade with fractions, differentials, fundamental math, social studies, human geography, US History, English, all of that," explained Abdullahi.
Salahdiin, the founder of the initiative, said his brother, Abdullahi, saw the impact the organization had on the community, and soon became a co-founder.
Both brothers fuel the initiative’s mission with their own experiences.
“I just entered sixth grade, and I learned fractions. So I was looking for a tutor, and I realized, like, how expensive and how limited tutors are,” shared Salahdiin.
"I was studying for the SAT in June of this year, and I saw how expensive SAT tutors could get," said Abdullahi.
He went on to describe how he benefited from having a teacher who helped him reach new heights in his academics, "before I took my first SAT, the school day SAT, she helped me get from a pretty low math score to a higher, you know, where I could get scholarships and other things.”
“I want to be that person for other people. I want to be that support. I want other people to have that feeling as well,” he added.
Currently, they focus their services on students in an apartment complex in Aurora, where they claim to see lower test scores.
“It's maybe 20 to 25 students. And we go there every other Monday,” said Abdullahi.
The brothers also tutor an additional 25 at a local library.
“Before we start tutoring any of the students, we take a diagnostic test at first, and we make sure that they're on their level. So if they say they're in sixth grade, we make sure they reach a sixth-grade, if not seventh-grade level,” he explained.
And for Abdullahi and Salahdiin, this initiative is so much more than just helping students catch up in the classroom; it's an opportunity to make a difference in their community.
“It feels pretty rewarding seeing the kid with a smile on their face and finally being able to understand basic, you know, algebra, basic functions, basic equations. I remember I struggled with that a lot when I was younger,” said Abdullahi.
“For me, it's like a sense of happiness and joy for them, because I see them succeed and they get the opportunity that I didn't have when I was their age,” his brother added.
"There's always someone to help you out. You shouldn't feel ashamed or afraid to reach out"
Both brothers are students at the Lotus School for Excellence; Abdullahi is a senior who hopes to attend Fordham University in New York, while Salahdiin is a sophomore. Their principal noted how the school plans to further their initiative on campus as well.
“We are planning to partner with them in really moving this common course, because Bright Minds also wants to really promote mentorship and opportunities for our students, and that speaks to our goals,” said Ermek Bakyt.
“We are in talks about how this can play out after school, because really what we're targeting is after school time between 3:20 and 4 pm, where TAs go into the classrooms. They are matched with our middle schoolers, and learning begins,” he added.
As for the future of their initiative, the Adan brothers hope to expand their services to other areas.
The brothers say they have a team of about six other volunteers who help with tutoring services. If anyone is interested in volunteering or signing up for services, the organization’s website has directions on how to get involved.
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