When the COVID-19 pandemic forced schools to close, high school student Mehmet Tascioglu decided to act about the disruption students were facing. On October 19, 2020, he helped start Connect Me with a small group of volunteers, offering free tutoring to just 15 students in the Metro-Detroit area. The idea was simple: give students access to reliable academic support at a time when normal classroom learning had been thrown into uncertainty. What began as a small local effort quickly grew far beyond southeast Michigan. After gaining attention from local media, Connect Me expanded its volunteer network, developed training and leadership programmes and began reaching students across the US and other countries. Five years later, the student-run nonprofit says it has delivered more than 60,000 free tutoring sessions, involving more than 600 volunteers and reaching 43 states and 12 countries. The organisation’s growth also reflects how student-led initiatives can build lasting networks from modest beginnings. By connecting volunteers with learners remotely, Connect Me created a model that could continue providing educational support beyond the pandemic, helping students access assistance regardless of where they live.
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