
DATE: Sunday, July 27, 1997                 TAG: 9707250231

SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER      PAGE: 19   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY CAROLE O'KEEFFE, CORRESPONDENT 

                                            LENGTH:   57 lines

IN ORDER TO LEARN MORE, STUDENTS GET M.A.D. MAKING A DIFFERENCE FOUNDATION KEEPS TUTORING PROGRAM GOING YEAR-ROUND.

EVEN DURING the summer months, students who want better grades, better skills or better SAT scores have an educational option.

They can attend Making a Difference Foundation tutoring classes at assorted sites across Hampton Roads, including Western Branch High School.

Some are referred by a teacher or principal. Some are told by their parents to attend. Others did not get passing grades in one subject or another and want to go back to school in the fall prepared for success.

Making A Difference Foundation is an award-winning non-profit organization with programs after school, nightly and on Saturdays throughout the whole year.

Each Tuesday evening between 7 and 9 p.m., at Western Branch, tutors help students in grades 9 through 12 get what they lack, whether it be extra help with algebra or learning English as a second language. They are even helped with issues of self esteem and finding the right college or career.

During the school year, M.A.D. works at 18 Hampton Roads sites. The schedule is reduced for the summer.

At present, there is no tutoring site in Portsmouth, so Michelle D. Raposa, 16, travels to Princess Anne High School in Virginia Beach as many as four nights a week during the school year to get help with her weaker subjects.

``I'm here at Making A Difference for my algebra,'' Raposa said before the last session ended. ``If not for M.A.D., I would be failing right now.'' Raposa, a sophomore at Portsmouth Christian, passed the class for the year.

The tutoring is not free. Students donate $50 for an entire year of help. Those unable to pay are forgiven. Most of M.A.D.'s money comes from grants.

Among awards the non-profit program has won are Gov. Allen's 1996 Partnership in Education award and the 1997 Volunteer Hampton Roads award. The organization provided more than 26,000 hours of tutoring in 1996.

``We are on-track to hit 70,000 hours in 1997,'' said founder Bob Bobulinski, who also serves as president and executive director.

In its five year's in existence, M.A.D. has assisted more than 11,000 students in their school work and sent 2,500 seniors to college or careers. ILLUSTRATION: ABOVE: Stacia Bobulinski, daughter of program founder

Bob Bobulinski, talks with rising seniors from Western Branch,

Samantha Mattoon, left; Amanda Franks, and Jennifer Rice during

preparation for the SAT.

RIGHT: Jeff Powell, left, and Lawren Wolf, also rising Bruin

seniors, prepare for the SAT during the class at Aldersgate United

Methodist Church.

Staff photos

by GARY KNAPP

Justin Fentress, a sophomore at Princess Anne High in Virginia

Beach, was recommended to the program by his football coach. Here,

he converses with Bob Bobulinski, founder and president of the

not-for-profit foundation. KEYWORDS: EDUCATION