Welcome to the Georgia Tutoring Association (GaTA) where our mission is to foster the recognition and
importance of tutoring to enhance student academic success and retention throughout the state of
Georgia. We are delighted that you’re interested in our organization! I am honored to serve as the GaTA President for 2020–21, and I hope you share my excitement regarding the work ahead. The COVID-19 public health emergency has profoundly affected education, but our commitment to post-secondary learning assistance remains.
This year has been challenging for higher education professionals. With so many colleges and
universities remaining virtual, tutoring and learning centers have had to find unique ways to manage
expectations, engage students, and ultimately pivot to a new way of running a business. With these
challenges came an outpouring of support and collaboration as we all sought to stay afloat. GaTA is
committed to being a network in which professionals, paraprofessionals, and students working in the
field can obtain information on current trends in tutoring to support learning center operations.
We held our very first virtual conference last year as our response and solution to finding ways to
actively engage our members. We welcomed professionals and institutions all over the United States.
Our Keynote Speaker, Leonard Geddess inspired us to make learning more visible, manageable, and
effective to improve institutional outcomes. This resulted in a digital think partnership opportunity that
surpassed even our expectations.
This year, we will strive to continue engaging our members through virtual networking events like Train
the Trainer, and our soon-to-be-announced 2021 annual conference. We expect that both events will be
well represented by colleges in all regions. These are great opportunities to network, share best
practices, and find new and innovative ways to manage your tutoring centers. While our Train the
Trainer event is specific to administrators and professionals, our conference is open to all, and we
especially encourage student participation. Whether you are looking for better ways to facilitate or are
interested in discovering ways to adapt to the increasing presence of technology in higher education,
GaTA offers growth opportunities for everyone. During the annual conference, we also highlight
exceptional peer tutors through our Peer Tutor of the Year Award (TOY Award).
We extend this invitation to you. Join in with all GaTA has to offer: attend our conferences, submit
proposals, run for office, or send us an email. We also encourage your partnership through board
membership, so please consider joining GaTA and sharing our information with your colleagues. I look
forward to working with you this year and meeting you all at the 2021 virtual conference.
Sincerely,
LaTasha Andre
