ISU student Wesley White is helping children who are in the same position he once was.

White, who grew up in Creston, is of American Indian heritage and is a tutor in a program designed for American Indian children, although it’s not limited to them.

“I just wanted to help kids that were in the same situation I was when I grew up,” said White, junior in exercise and sport science. “I want to get their outlook to be a little more positive. Like going to college — let them know it can happen.”

White is just one volunteer who works with the students. Every week, three or four ISU students and some University of Iowa students converge at the Tribal Center on the Meskwakie Indian Settlement in Tama to tutor children.

Iowa State’s United Native American Student Association (UNASA) sponsors the program that links college students with American Indian youngsters. The children receive help with their homework and at the same time are given a positive role model.

On Tuesday nights, students in grades K-12 can bring homework to the Tribal Center on the settlement to receive support from their college mentors.

“[The program] is open to any of the Indian kids that want to come. Our stipulation is that they have to bring something to work on,” White said.

The volunteers in the program are not limited to college students. Gailyn Kapayou, tutor and mentor, is the educational aide for American Indian students at South Tama High School. She has had experience with the program since she participated in it when she was in high school.

“I benefited from it,” Kapayou said. “This was something that I wanted to provide.”

The program, which began in 1974, was developed in part by students.

“There were two students at ISU that saw the disparity between the children educated through the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the public schools,” said Irma White, UNASA adviser.

A proposal was brought before the Tribal Council, and members saw the need for tutoring their students.

The program restarted this year after taking the 1998-99 school year off due to a lack of financing.

“It is something that [the children] look forward to every week,” Kapayou said, “not only getting help but getting to know [the tutors] as well.”

Volunteers are not limited to those of American Indian heritage. “Most of the students are from American Indian studies classes,” said volunteer Alicia Thomas, junior in chemistry.

Up until this year, there was no formal training for tutors. Now the volunteers are looking at a “list of guidelines that you need to follow while you are around the kids,” Thomas said.

The students spend the first hour of the 90-minute period doing school work. Then, depending on how well the students work, there is time for fun activities.

The students are also rewarded for their work.

“For some of the ones that do better or that are well behaved, we try to find some reward, like tickets to a game,” Thomas said.