1135 17th Ave. Suite 101, Santa Cruz CA 95062
(831) 621-2137
cptutoringcenter7@gmail.com
Hours of Operation: Monday-Thursday: 10:30am - 7:30pm
Friday: 10:30 - 4:00pm
WELCOME TO CHARLIE'S PORCH TUTORING CENTER
OUR MISSION
Our goal is to create a learning environment full of kindness, acceptance, growth, and memories.
OUR SERVICES
Kindergarten - Eighth Grade: Public, Private, and Homeschool
All Subject Areas: Homework Help and Foundational Skills
Organization and Time Management
Supplementary Skills: reading/phonics/sight words, grammar/spelling, quick math, etc.
KINDERGARTEN - 4TH GRADE
Individual Sessions:
Sliding scale: $30 - $50 per hour
5TH GRADE - 8TH GRADE
Individual Sessions:
Sliding Scale: $40 - $70 per hour
HOMESCHOOL GROUP SESSIONS
Available for Kindergarten - 8th Grade
Subjects: Math and ELA
Please inquire for details about pricing and scheduling
WHAT MAKES US DIFFERENT
WE FOLLOW THE SCHOOLS' CURRICULUM DIRECTLY
Charlie’s Porch would like to offer a new way of tutoring! Instead of solely focusing on our own curriculum, we also follow along with every school's curriculum. What does this mean? We help students with the classwork and homework they are doing at school rather than centering tutoring sessions around completely new topics. Our tutors know about all current and upcoming assignments for their students, and they are ready to assist them with homework, test preparation, or any missing/late assignments. By accessing Google Classroom, school programs, and communicating directly with teachers, we are able to focus on helping students succeed in the classes they are already taking. We are then able to determine which areas students need more practice with, and we can create lesson plans to help them better understand the material.
LIMITED BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT
Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) is one of the most commonly used types of behavioral support in school and home settings. At Charlie's Porch Tutoring Center, we would like to incorporate ideas used in ABA, but also strive to teach behavioral support using other techniques. We believe that everyone learns differently, and we want to encourage all forms of education. We will primarily focus on providing support for Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
Furthermore, upon enrollment, we will work with students and their parents/guardians to establish individualized goals to work on throughout their tutoring sessions. It is important to promote positive reinforcements for accomplishing or working towards behavioral and/or educational goals. Therefore, students will be eligible to earn various prizes. Remember, effort always counts!
CLIENT TESTIMONIALS
"I had been searching for the right tutor for my 8 year old autistic son and I am so happy that we’ve found Hannah at Charlie’s Porch Tutoring Center. The center is bright, safe, clean, inviting, modern and full of color and personality.
My son’s tutor, Hannah is kind, patient, empathetic, compassionate and provides just the right amount of structure for my very “busy” son.
My son is excited to attend his tutoring sessions each week and I would highly recommend Charlie’s Porch Tutoring Center to anyone that is looking for academic assistance and support for their child."
- Holly, 3rd Grade Parent
"Our family struggled to find a tutor who our teenager would work with. Charlie's Porch Tutoring Center met that need and exceeded our expectations. The tutors at this center took the time to know the specific curriculum each of the classes, set up proactive lesson plans to do every session, and provided consistent feedback. They coached study skills, cheered on successes, and used assignments already in the homework expectations to enhance learning without adding more work. Not only did grades improve, but more importantly so did our teen's confidence. I would recommend this center to any child/teen looking to learn and practice focus, organization, study habits and to receive curriculum-specific guidance through their homework, projects, and in test preparation."
- Whitney, 7th Grade Parent
"My 10 year old daughter, Julia, was in the middle of first grade when the pandemic hit. It really had a huge impact on both of us; neither one of us did great with Distance Learning, and it was a constant struggle. When she started fourth grade in Live Oak, we were both excited for a full, normal year of school. Once the year began however, we both became aware of some new difficulties with school. Math was challenging for both of us. It was never a strong subject for me, and I struggled to assist my daughter. Julia's attitude towards school as well as her self confidence were both becoming more negative. It was frustrating to not have the skills to help her as much as I wanted to. She began tutoring at Charlie's Porch in the winter of 2023. Within 1 month, we started to see a complete turn around in both her self confidence and her attitude towrds school. Once she understood how to be successful with math, she began to excel in other areas too. She went from having a report card that was mostly "needs improvement" to being caught up and doing well in all of her subjects. Most importantly, she began to use positive terms when talking about her class and her place in it. The instruction she has at Charlie's Porch continues to make a huge, positive difference for Julia. She looks forward to working with Izzy each week and has grown to have a lot of respect and appreciation for her. I'm grateful to Charlie's Porch for filling an evident need in such a positive way!"
- Kate, 4th Grade Parent
"Charlie’s Porch Tutoring has been such a wonderful addition to my son’s academic journey. The work he does with Isabel has transformed the way he feels about school. His grades have improved significantly and his confidence in all subjects has soared. We are very thankful for Isabel and Hannah."
- Sam, 6th Grade Parent
MEET THE TEAM
HANNAH PENNINGTON
Owner/Tutor/Limited Behavioral Support
Hannah attended college at California State University, Channel Islands where she graduated with a Bachelors in Psychology and a minor in history. During that time, Hannah was working as a sales associate. One day while at work, a little girl and her mother walked into the store, and Hannah immediately welcomed them in. The little girl did not communicate with anyone else in the store other than her, and that's when the mom said, "You know, she doesn't talk to anyone. She doesn't like talking to people." That is when Hannah realized it was time to start her dream career working with kids.
After she graduated, that wish became a reality when she was hired to work as a Behavior Interventionist primarily with kids with Autism Spectrum Disorder. During this time, she learned a number of skills through an ABA approach that has prepared her for starting her own tutoring center, where she would like to continue to meet and help kids.
IZZY PENNINGTON
Owner/Tutor
Izzy went to school at the University of California, Santa Barbara where she majored in Environmental Studies with a focus in environmental justice. While that is one of her primary passions, she also came to the realization that she loves working with children. Throughout college, she volunteered at a small educational aquarium called the Sea Center, where she got to interact with children and families from all around the world. That’s when she recognized her dream was to work with kids and help them realize their learning goals.
When Covid-19 hit a year after her graduation, Izzy was struggling to figure out her career path. The only thing that seemed definitive was that she wanted to work with children. A few months later, her cousin approached her about working with her kids during their distanced learning while she attended nursing school, which was the perfect fit. She continued working with them for the entire school year, and began helping other families as well, where she was able to develop and expand her tutoring skills. This passion eventually evolved into deciding to open her own tutoring center with her sister, Hannah.
CONTACT US
OUR STORY
Our story began in what we called the “little house” in a small town named Scotts Valley, California. We did not know it at the time, but we ended up spending three long years in that little 750 square foot house with our family of five and our hundred thirty five pound yellow lab named Sunny. We can still remember those beautiful summer nights with our Dad, Charlie, the joy in his voice and the smile on his face as he completed his nightly routine of walking up and down the street. Those walks always ended in our Dad doing one of his favorite things: sitting on the front porch, where he was able to watch his and our mom’s dream house being built right next door. After he passed away a few years later and the new house was built, his memory lived on with what became known as Charlie’s Porch. We knew that we wanted our business to encompass all of the attributes that made our Dad’s porch so special - a place of kindness, acceptance, growth, and memories. When we decided we wanted to open a tutoring center, incorporating Charlie’s Porch into the name seemed like the only viable option.
After our Dad's passing, our mom decided to part ways with their previous local printing business and become a middle school teacher. She worked full time, raised three young girls, all while attending night school to get her teaching credentials. She showed us that no matter how challenging it may be, reaching for your goals is always worth it, and working with kids is so rewarding. She has had students that constantly told her that they couldn't do it, but after her support and dedication, they eventually went on to obtain their Master's Degrees. Our mom has always said if she can at least just reach one child and help them, then it is all worth it. Her teaching practices have influenced us to want to open our own tutoring center, and strive to help students reach their goals and understand that they can accomplish anything they put their mind to.
Inspired by our mom and her devotion to her students and the community, we came to the realization that we both wanted to work with kids. During the COVID-19 lockdown, we both noticed a gap in services for parents that continued working, but also had kids at home doing their school work. This sparked the idea to start our own business to help fill this gap. It eventually grew into the idea to start our own full-time tutoring center. One evening, Isabel asked Hannah if she would take a leap of faith with her to start the business, and Hannah wrote her answer on the sticky note. The answer was "yes", and that's where it all started. After months of preparation and research, they were able to make their hopes and dreams into a reality and start Charlie's Porch Tutoring Center!