Faces of Michigan

PALMA (Proyecto Avance, Latino Mentoring Association): Excitement, Enthusiasm, and Service to the Ann Arbor-area Latino Community

PALMA (Proyecto Avance, Latino Mentoring Association) is a registered student organization at the University of Michigan. PALMA members mentor and tutor Ann Arbor-area Latino students on their schoolwork, and help Latino adults with basic English as a Second Language (ESL) instruction. PALMA’s primary goal is to help foster academic excellence among K-12 students by encouraging them to learn and progress in their studies. A corresponding goal is to promote the importance of post-secondary education.

PALMA volunteers are recruited primarily among U-M students who can communicate in Spanish at various skill levels.

On most Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout the school year, PALMA members and their students form a center of focused and excited activity, as they teach and learn from each other at the Ann Arbor District Library.

“Working with PALMA over the past two years has been one of the most worthwhile and rewarding experiences I’ve had here at the U,” wrote a member of PALMA in a recent testimonial. “Not only does the program provide tutors the opportunity to practice both teaching and Spanish skills in a fun and friendly environment, it also gives you the chance to really get to know some amazing people and families. … When [my student] and I meet together we mainly work on Math, Science, and English—going over what he’s doing in each class and working on homework assignments. But we also spend time just talking to each other.”

Although PALMA primarily recruits at the beginning of each term, PALMA is always looking for new volunteers who are comfortable communicating in Spanish, and who are dedicated to promoting academic success.

Most PALMA volunteers have permanent positions, meaning they work with the same K-12 student twice each week for an entire semester. If twice a week is more of a commitment than you can make, PALMA also recruits substitute tutors who work with any student whose tutor is not available on a particular day.

PALMA volunteers who work with adults have less structure during their meetings, since adults generally do not come with work to finish like K-12 students.

“PALMA’s success is the product of the commitment and passion of the tutors, students, parents, and library employees,” writes PALMA on its website. University students are encouraged to lend their commitment and passion to the cause.

PALMA receives funding from the Michigan Student Assembly, as well as the Ginsberg Center for Community Service and Learning.

(Shown in photo are three members of the 2007-2008 PALMA eboard (l-r): Jena Gutierrez, Alex Funt, and Cathe Shubert.)