It was in August of 2006, that Tutor Zone was born. Near uptown Whittier, the first location was small but mighty. At the time, the two instructors, who happened to be the owners, worked tirelessly to carry out a vision to revitalize education by innovatively instructing youth, empowering them through the learning process, and actively participating in the local communities. Reflecting on the 18 years of serving the local community and beyond, Tutor Zone is excited to continue this journey. Throughout the years, Tutor Zone’s brick and mortar locations expanded into La Habra, Placentia, and Orange. While they were able to touch the lives of so many during this timeframe, the economic state impacted the business.
The company vision has shifted its attention towards a focus on their Whittier location, where they reach up to 180 students each week. In addition,Tutor Zone has expanded by creating partnerships with local school districts for after school tutoring support. Tutor Zone attributes its success to their loyal customers and are deeply grateful for their support. The unwavering loyalty from Tutor Zone customers has sparked a fire within the heart of Tutor Zone owner, Manuel Bermudez to do more.
Let’s dive into a few noteworthy philanthropic efforts Tutor Zone has been a part of over the years. Tutor Zone’s partnership that started in 2018 with the Keck School of Medicine of USC Physician Assistant Program; started as a financial aid workshop that catapulted into a full SAT prep workshop designed to help students bridge the gap between foundational weaknesses in English and Math. Keck School of Medicine of USC Physician Assistant Program promotes workshops to high school students who are interested in a career within the medical field. An inherent challenge is USC’s SAT scores for admission are competitive; students with low scores suffer due to a lack of entry. This challenge prompted Maria Maldonado, USC Coordinator, to partner with Tutor Zone to provide support for younger students in grades 4th and upward in foundational academic support. Learning about medicine careers through the USC Pathway was a surefire way to get involved in the future of the students. Using Tutor Zone’s CREW program for high school students and LEAD program for middle school students, splitting up rigorous, yet effective practice for SATs and the intricate addition of medicine proved to be a success.
Another noteworthy philanthropic effort is Tutor Zone’s launch in 2020 of the online English as a second language course in Costa Rica. Branching out to Central America unites a different customer base as well as additional prospective growth for the company. To date, Tutor Zone has helped an array of ages, from young middle schoolers trying to ignite a passion for language since a young age to working adults who are trying to add a new tool to their resume. These courses were carried out through Zoom and offered three levels from Beginner to Intermediate to Advanced, each with 5 different stages
Last, Tutor Zone’s Learn Afghan Initiative began in 2023 and teaches young women in Afghanistan English online. When the United States decided to leave Afghanistan, unfortunately the Taliban came in and took away from women the right to attend school. Tutor Zone is passionate about sharing education with all and this created an opportunity to reach a new population that desperately needed academic support. In hopes to bring these young females a new skill that could translate into economic growth, Tutor Zone’s determination and values took the world by storm, transcending both language and time barriers.
Tutor Zone efforts did not stop there. In August 2014, a partnership with La Puente and Artesia High School to offer economical SAT courses to parents in need of this extra support for their child was initiated. In solidarity, Artesia High School covered the cost for up to 100 students. Through the SAT partnership with La Puente and Artesia, they expanded their services to Ghar and Cerritos High School. These partnerships gained recognition to further empower young minds and eventually the districts jumped in and picked up the tab for more students to participate.
Let’s take a deeper look at the effects of the pandemic and how Tutor Zone offered their services through a different lens. As the world was faced with unprecedented times during the 2020 Global Pandemic, the effects were dire on students. Tutor Zone quickly navigated the shift from immediate closure of all physical locations to transition virtually full time. Online tutoring services were an extension branch to empower students and get them much needed help. Parents quickly began to see the fruitfulness of this aid and traction increased. It is worth noting, the challenges faced to provide this support to the community was not possible without the team working diligently behind the scenes.
Beyond the walls of Tutor Zone’s brick and mortar locations, school sites were faced with the challenges of the pandemic as well. Students were falling behind academically. Resources were limited and the toll of this was felt amongst families and teachers. It was during this time that Tutor Zone embarked on its largest partnership to aid the efforts of local school district initiatives to help students. Homework Zone was born in 2021 to support over 3,000 students within the ABC Unified School District. Over 120 classes were taught in a day and consisted of Math Foundations. Tutor Zone also offered programs such as SAT Prep, AP Courses, and College Academy. As a small business, challenges to meet the large quantity of students arised and were quickly overcome. Nimbleness and creativity along with a motivated team to train new hires made this partnership a reality for Tutor Zone.
The enthusiasm of instructors, managers, and the owner impact the culture of Tutor Zone. A team who collectively comes together to impact others lives in a positive way truly makes a big difference. It is in this vein that Tutor Zone felt compelled to embark on a new partnership in January 2024 with El Rancho Unified School District to offer after school Math Foundation classes. The challenges faced during this partnership strengthened our internal processes and training to foster a more robust team. We are grateful for the learnings and trust that evolved during this time.
With eyes set on the goal of revitalizing education and empowering the youth, Tutor Zone upholds a gold standard of what is to come in the future. Through philanthropic actions and a vision for growth, Tutor Zone is not done yet. Loyal customers make up the very fabric of Tutor Zone. Without this support, our efforts will dwindle. Tutor Zone’s mission where a little time makes a big difference is felt in the local community and beyond!