Golden Opportunity ("GO")

Golden Opportunity (GO) provides free, one-on-one tutoring and mentorship to Ithaca's most vulnerable students. The majority of GO tutors are retired teachers who bring their knowledge of the curriculum and class experience to help struggling students meet grade-level benchmarks. Students are paired with a GO tutor in second grade and together, they begin a journey that lasts through the end of middle school.

In its 19th year, GO has grown into an organization deeply connected at every level with a renewed commitment to justice, equity, and community service. We have listened and learned, provided hope, and reminded students to dream. We acknowledged the difficulties but also the possibilities. We reminded each other of our strengths and our belief that together we can succeed. And we have emerged from the pandemic a more cohesive and dedicated group of caring humans committed to nurturing a group of students as they become citizens of the world.

GO is fortunate to be surrounded by a community invested in its young learners. Tutoring will be the single best way to help students recover from the loss of learning due to the pandemic, and GO is poised to deliver on the promise of its mission. With your help, we can increase our reach within the Ithaca City School District and provide equitable access to all students in need because ---

Every child needs a champion.
Every student deserves access to fair and equitable educational support.
Every student needs hope and consistency during uncertain times.

In keeping with Golden Opportunity’s mission to provide fair and equitable access to services, this year, we introduce a new initiative, The GO Club.                    

GO has partnered with Beverly Martin Elementary School's administration and staff to provide Ithaca City School District students whose families have limited to no access to transportation an opportunity to remain in the GO program and receive the free one-on-one tutoring they desperately need. The GO Club is an after-school tutoring and enrichment program that gives students performing below grade level in one or more core subjects a chance to meet one-on-one with a retired teacher twice a week for tutoring, followed by activities with their GO peers in a safe, supportive, and nurturing environment.  

The mission of The GO Club is to provide high-quality after-school care to enrolled students in grades two to five who are eligible to receive free one-on-one tutoring. The GO Club fosters a love of learning, cooperative play, creative expression, and self-worth in every child. It brings students together from six elementary schools and allows them to broaden their peer groups and build valuable friendships before entering middle school. Most importantly, the GO Club provides after-school care to families who can't afford the additional expenses. 

Working in partnership with the ICSD transportation department, GO can once again provide services without barriers to access. ICSD will bus GO students from their elementary school to BJM and then transport them home following after-school tutoring and enrichment.