Seeing the Forest aaaand the Trees!!! - Study Organization and Time Management Tips - Room 2104-01
Presenter: Princess Briggs
Ever been so overwhelmed with classwork, homework, project dates, study sessions, and let's not forget birthdays, weddings, personal appointments, oil changes, pet grooming, home repairs? YIKES!!! The demands of daily life often make it difficult to maintain effective organization, particularly regarding school-related tasks. This session will provide practical tips and strategies to help participants organize their academic workload, manage time efficiently, and remain proactive throughout the semester.
Holding Space - Room 2103-01
Students often come to tutoring sessions carrying more than academic challenges; they may also be navigating fear, self-doubt, and feeling overwhelmed. Drawing from my experience as a Support Specialist with RAINN (the National Sexual Assault Hotline), this session explores how core crisis intervention skills such as empathy, active listening, validation, and creating safe, nonjudgmental spaces can deeply enhance the impact of academic tutoring.
Advocating for Ourselves - Room 2103-02
Presenter: Jorge Cartaya
Tutors, it's time to give yourself some credit! This session shows MDC tutors how to advocate for themselves and their work is not just in the lab or Learning Commons, but across the College and beyond. Learn how to build a professional presence that opens doors to full-time opportunities, grows your network, and spotlights the essential role tutors play in student success. You'll walk away ready to stand out without selling out, and make Learning Resources impossible to ignore.
Writing with Connection: The ChangeMaker Portfolio -Room 2104-03
Presenter: Abigail Herring
Changemaking at MDC encourages all students to engage in their communities while completing a ChangeMaker portfolio. This portfolio involves several actions including activity selection, crafting reflections, and documentation. Writing tutors assist students as they identify changes they have brought to a community, along with formatting and citation of external sources. Through promoting community engagement and learning, tutors can help students organize their contributions within an inclusive portfolio.
Atoms in Action: From 2D to 3D - Room 2103-06
Presenter - Shaheer Kazmi
Rather than lecturing, this session models learner-centered teaching. Participants will engage directly with the host to explore how different subject areas can be connected across disciplines to create a thriving, interactive learning environment. Through discussion and demonstration, attendees will discover how tutors can integrate 3D printing and visualization tools into tutoring sessions to enhance understanding and engagement.
How Connection Drives Student Success - Room 2103-03
Presenter: Gabriela Ruiz
The future of student success at MDC is not just about changing curriculums; it's about us! We invite you to explore how changes in the way we approach interdepartmental relationships has changed student outcomes for the better. By strategically implementing methods such as embedded tutoring, professor surveys, proactive communication, and collaborative department initiatives, we have begun to create a community where every support role is actively assisting in closing an academic support gap. Join us in building an academic community where holistic support is ensured for every student.
Beyond the Lecture: A Hands-On Conversation on the PAL Model - Room 2104-02
Presenter: Marice Diaz
This session highlights how the Peer Academic Leader (PAL) program, developed through the STEM Legacy grant at Wolfson Campus, leverages student participation, including service-learning opportunities, to strengthen and expand the work tutors are already leading across campuses. Participants will explore how PAL practices bridge classroom learning and tutoring, fostering deeper collaboration among students, tutors, and faculty. Through interactive discussion and real examples of PAL practices in action, tutors will discover strategies that enhance engagement, build community, and reinforce learning support within their centers. Participants will leave with adaptable approaches for integrating peer leadership and service learning to support a connected and sustainable culture of academic support.
Workshop Wizardry: Crafting Sessions That Stick - Room 2104-01
Presenters: Miguel Angel Castiblanco-Melendez, Emmanuel Garcia
Workshops are a highly valuable resource when trying to help a wide audience of students with the same common topics and troubles that they may face during their classes. Learn tips and tricks to maintaining an engaging atmosphere that keeps students motivated to learn and participate.
Now It's Our Turn: Math and Science Mondays - Room 2103-02
Presenters: Roy Higgins, Brian Gonzalez
There's Research Thursdays, Writing Wednesdays, Tech Tuesdays, but where's the love for Math & Science? Learn about how we implemented our latest weekly skillshops, and how you can help!
Art in the Age of AI: What's Yours? What's Theirs? - Room 2104-03
Presenters: Christina Fernandez, Mercy Gamez
Participants will learn about what belongs to GenAI and what belongs to humans when it comes to copyright, fair use and citation as well as what the future holds for human artists. Tutors will be able to apply this information to assist students with academic citations and sourcing.
Turning Words Into Money: Tutor Strategies for Scholarship Success - Room 2103-03
Presenters: Kendaly Alvarez, Jeremy Vazquez
This session equips tutors with strategies to help students craft standout scholarship essays. Learn how to guide students through brainstorming and drafting and navigate evolving scholarship policies (in particular AI). We'll review before-and-after essay samples to highlight key writing improvements and tutoring techniques. By the end, tutors will have practical strategies to help students refine their narrative and reflective writing and turn their experiences into financial rewards.
Serving Compliment Sandwiches: Appetizing Students and Tutors for Success - Room 2104-02
Presenters: Gretel Barreto, Layla Cruz
Want to run tutoring sessions that are warm, clear, and effective? We use the classic sandwich: start with a genuine win, layer in one focused fix, finish with a bite of encouragement. You'll practice setting expectations, nailing friendly-but-firm boundaries, and giving feedback that is specific and doable; not soggy or sugarcoated. End goal: tutors who feel confident, students who feel seen, and sessions that actually get work done.
Under One Umbrella: How You can Foster Connections with Other Tutors in the Learning Commons Beyond the Tutoring Labs - Room 2103-01
Presenters: Ariane Tulloch, Roger Williams
Tutors play a vital role in supporting student learning. To continue best serving students, they also need opportunities to connect with one another and recharge. They benefit from spaces that foster connection and renewal. Drawing on research showing that proximity and shared spaces enhance collaboration, the session highlights how cultivating third places can strengthen community, spark creativity, and improve tutor well-being. When tutors connect and collaborate, they are better equipped to support student success in dynamic and innovative ways.
Augmenting Tutoring with Immersive AI: Using HoloTutor - Room 103-06
Presenters: Angel Hernandez, Edwin Gilmore, Joseph Guerra
In this session, we will introduce tutors to HoloTutor, a browser (and now VR-compatible) AI tutoring platform available at Learning Resources that combines customizable avatars, 3D environments, and AI-driven student interaction.