The California State Library provides free online tutoring for California K-12 students, available through public libraries like Placer County Library. Through HelpNow, live real-time homework assistance is available 24 hours a day by laptop, tablet, or phone from qualified tutors using state curriculum and standards.
24/7 assistance is available in English and Spanish for Language Arts and Mathematics.
Every day between 10:00 am and 10:00 pm, assistance is available in core K-12 subjects in the following languages:
- English
- Spanish
- Mandarin
- Cantonese
- Vietnamese
- Tagalog
Tutors can engage students using a virtual whiteboard, conduct live audio interactions, and tackle a wide range of concepts together. The emphasis here is on guiding and helping students to understand and learn, rather than just providing answers. Tutoring sessions are closely monitored for completeness and pedagogical effectiveness, ensuring a high-quality learning experience. All tutors have passed background checks and possess at least a bachelor's degree.
What else is cool about HelpNow? Learners can request to continue working with their preferred tutors or utilize a “writing lab” to drop off written work and receive feedback. Students can ask a question and get a written response returned to them, review past sessions, and send and receive messages to tutors and organize tasks.
The HelpNow app is available on iOs and Andriod devices and can function on smartphones as well as tablets. The HelpNow platform is ADA compliant and offers a toll-free help number and an audio tutoring option. The service conforms to section 508 Standards developed by the Web Accessibility Initiative.