School on Wheels Tutoring Programs
Skid Row Learning Center, 600 East 7th Street, Ste 109, Los Angeles, CA 90021
About
School on Wheels Tutoring Programs offers one-on-one weekly tutoring, as well as online, in-person, peer, and group tutoring for students. The program includes digital learning, literacy activities for emerging readers in Kindergarten–4th grade that involve reading, writing, and drawing, and academic activities for 5th–8th graders that focus on reading or math skills. High school students can take part in the BUS Program, which includes life skills lessons such as “How to Get into College” and “How to Manage Money,” and all K–12 students have access to social and emotional learning activities on topics like Growth Mindset and Curiosity.
• Ages: 5–18 years old
• Schedule: The Skid Row Learning Center is open five days a week year-round.
• Price: 90% of every dollar donated goes directly to student support.
School on Wheels Tutoring Programs provides academic lessons and a summer program through its Skid Row Learning Center, along with a digital learning center. Every student the organization supports receives a brand-new backpack filled with school supplies, and annually the organization provides over 5,000 students with school supplies. Since 1993, the mission of School on Wheels has been to enhance educational opportunities for children experiencing homelessness from kindergarten through twelfth grade, with the goal of shrinking gaps in their learning and serving as a consistent support system during a time of great stress and fear.
School on Wheels partners with over 400 sites across Southern California, including libraries, shelters, and after-school programs, and volunteer tutors are described as the “wheels” reaching students in six counties across a span of 2,500 square miles. Last year, 1,226 volunteers tutored 2,360 students experiencing homelessness, and volunteer opportunities include in person, online, peer, and group tutoring, with the Become a Tutor program requiring only 1 hour per week. The organization describes itself as the only organization in Southern California dedicated exclusively to the educational needs of children experiencing homelessness, and its core values are trust, integrity, innovation, flexibility, passion, and teamwork.
The Literacy Program for Kindergarten–4th grade and the Academic Program for 5th–8th graders both use materials and content that are evidence-based and aligned with the Common Core, and the 5th–8th grade program uses a computer-adaptive program with personalized content. The BUS Program for high school students focuses on life skills topics such as how to get into college and how to manage money, and the SEL Program offers short activities on topics such as Growth Mindset and Curiosity to all K–12 students. The Digital Learning Initiative is set up to empower students to use technology and Internet/WiFi for online learning and to bridge the digital divide. After ten weeks of tutoring, two thirds of students improved their assessment scores by a grade level or more.
School on Wheels was founded in 1993, and in 1999 Catherine Meek became one of founder Agnes Stevens’ first volunteer tutors on Skid Row; she later served as Executive Director from 2009–2019 and was named one of 10 Women of Worth in the U.S. in 2012. The organization’s leadership includes an Executive Board with members such as Steven Dahlberg (President), Laleh Dallalnejad, Joshua Fein, Denice Gonzalez-Kim, Jovana Lara, Allison Latham, Dr. Rue Mansour, Catherine Meek (Executive Advisor), Nancy Neal, Clifford Neiman, Ellen Padnos, Jarrod Phillips, Jonathan Reid, Lynn Stone, and Sunni Won, with Reverend Cecil L. Murray listed as Director Emeritus. The Leadership Team includes Catherine Meek as Executive Advisor, Maegan Mattock as Chief Regional Officer, Richard Tran as Chief Operations Officer, Charles Evans as Executive Director, and Sinéad Chilton as Chief Development & Marketing Officer, supported by a regional team that includes managers and coordinators such as Brenda Cao, Tiana Shambayati, Melissa Lopez, and Riley Cobian. Volunteers are 18 or older.
Testimonials from those involved with the program include a volunteer tutor who says, “It’s not about knowing everything or being a teacher—it’s about being there for someone who needs the help,” and a student who shares, “I like meeting with my tutor because she helps me understand things better, and she is really nice and easy to talk to.” Another student, Victoria, states, “I couldn’t have graduated without the help of my tutor,” and a mother, Anna, says, “It helps them look beyond their current circumstances and see the possibilities the future can hold.”
Last updated July 5, 2026.
• Ages: 5–18 years old
• Schedule: The Skid Row Learning Center is open five days a week year-round.
• Price: 90% of every dollar donated goes directly to student support.
School on Wheels Tutoring Programs provides academic lessons and a summer program through its Skid Row Learning Center, along with a digital learning center. Every student the organization supports receives a brand-new backpack filled with school supplies, and annually the organization provides over 5,000 students with school supplies. Since 1993, the mission of School on Wheels has been to enhance educational opportunities for children experiencing homelessness from kindergarten through twelfth grade, with the goal of shrinking gaps in their learning and serving as a consistent support system during a time of great stress and fear.
School on Wheels partners with over 400 sites across Southern California, including libraries, shelters, and after-school programs, and volunteer tutors are described as the “wheels” reaching students in six counties across a span of 2,500 square miles. Last year, 1,226 volunteers tutored 2,360 students experiencing homelessness, and volunteer opportunities include in person, online, peer, and group tutoring, with the Become a Tutor program requiring only 1 hour per week. The organization describes itself as the only organization in Southern California dedicated exclusively to the educational needs of children experiencing homelessness, and its core values are trust, integrity, innovation, flexibility, passion, and teamwork.
The Literacy Program for Kindergarten–4th grade and the Academic Program for 5th–8th graders both use materials and content that are evidence-based and aligned with the Common Core, and the 5th–8th grade program uses a computer-adaptive program with personalized content. The BUS Program for high school students focuses on life skills topics such as how to get into college and how to manage money, and the SEL Program offers short activities on topics such as Growth Mindset and Curiosity to all K–12 students. The Digital Learning Initiative is set up to empower students to use technology and Internet/WiFi for online learning and to bridge the digital divide. After ten weeks of tutoring, two thirds of students improved their assessment scores by a grade level or more.
School on Wheels was founded in 1993, and in 1999 Catherine Meek became one of founder Agnes Stevens’ first volunteer tutors on Skid Row; she later served as Executive Director from 2009–2019 and was named one of 10 Women of Worth in the U.S. in 2012. The organization’s leadership includes an Executive Board with members such as Steven Dahlberg (President), Laleh Dallalnejad, Joshua Fein, Denice Gonzalez-Kim, Jovana Lara, Allison Latham, Dr. Rue Mansour, Catherine Meek (Executive Advisor), Nancy Neal, Clifford Neiman, Ellen Padnos, Jarrod Phillips, Jonathan Reid, Lynn Stone, and Sunni Won, with Reverend Cecil L. Murray listed as Director Emeritus. The Leadership Team includes Catherine Meek as Executive Advisor, Maegan Mattock as Chief Regional Officer, Richard Tran as Chief Operations Officer, Charles Evans as Executive Director, and Sinéad Chilton as Chief Development & Marketing Officer, supported by a regional team that includes managers and coordinators such as Brenda Cao, Tiana Shambayati, Melissa Lopez, and Riley Cobian. Volunteers are 18 or older.
Testimonials from those involved with the program include a volunteer tutor who says, “It’s not about knowing everything or being a teacher—it’s about being there for someone who needs the help,” and a student who shares, “I like meeting with my tutor because she helps me understand things better, and she is really nice and easy to talk to.” Another student, Victoria, states, “I couldn’t have graduated without the help of my tutor,” and a mother, Anna, says, “It helps them look beyond their current circumstances and see the possibilities the future can hold.”
Last updated July 5, 2026.
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