Photo credit: Vivianne Arnold

At a Power Hour session, tutor Allie Yang (’25) laughs with Lily Poon (’25) and Danilka Foronda-Zanipatin (’25). Yang said a goal of Power Hour is to help students feel capable. “I really want to develop that individualistic confidence in my tutorees,” Yang said.

The sounds of shuffling paper and quiet conversation fill a bright classroom after school. Unlike the usual classroom setting, the students are not scheduled to be here nor are they all from one grade; students from every grade are welcome to work in Power Hour.

Power Hour, Archer’s peer tutoring program, provides students a place to work on assignments and study with the support of fellow students working as tutors. The 2024-2025 session kicked off Monday, Sept. 9, and the program meets Monday through Thursday.

Lead tutor Allie Yang (’25) said many students are drawn to the space because of its relaxed atmosphere. She said previous study programs such as PAWS felt more intense, and that one of Power Hour’s main appeals is how much freedom students have over their use of time.

“I think the idea of asking for help from a teacher can be really daunting, especially if you’re new to the course or new to the school, and this is just a really great, low stakes way to get to know other people and to get to forge those bonds early on,” Yang said. “We’re all here for the same intention to be productive, and it’s honestly so awesome to have other people around you, holding you accountable for that, but also supporting you and having it be a fun space.”

Executive board member Charlie Clayton (’25) joined Power Hour as a tutor in 2023 and said the focus on student-led learning is why Power Hour is effective. She said since students decide what to work on and how to spend their time, Power Hour helps students develop better time-management strategies.

“It can be anywhere from just having a quiet place to work … or [getting] actual homework help or [tutors helping] you organize your assignments and make a to-do list,” Clayton said. “It’s really whatever the person needs and whatever they feel they would benefit the most from. And we have snacks, too. That’s a big help.”

Students who attend Power Hour range from grades six through 12. Senior Danilka Foronda-Zanipatin occasionally visits Power Hour. She said she appreciates how Power Hour gives students the opportunity to work and connect with students across all grade levels.

“I feel like it is effective. I mean, yeah, we do mess around,” Foronda-Zanipatin  said. “But once we all are like, ‘Okay, we have to do this,’ we all dedicate the rest of our time to working on it.”

Yang said one of her favorite parts of Power Hour is seeing the progress students make over the year.

“One of the most gratifying feelings [last year] was when the same students I saw every week would come in, but they wouldn’t ask for my help anymore,” Yang said. “They could just do things on their own and I could see them flourish. And it’s kind of nice to not be needed, because then you know that in the past few weeks, you’ve done your job.”