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A white neon sign spelling "El Centro" in a handwriting font, on a window looking into El Centro.

El Centro

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Bobby Verdugo & Yoli Ríos Bilingual Peer Mentor and Tutoring Center

El Centro is a study center that provides a space for students to explore academic success via a relationship-rich educational experience. We are in the library basement, room 103A, and are equipped with a touch-screen digital whiteboard, desktops, noise-cancelling headphones, and other materials to support your studying habits. Our consultants tutor in multiple subjects and languages to help students meet their academic goals or study abroad preparation. At El Centro, students can also request academic peer mentorship to work on time management, study habits, or overall academic needs. Students typically come to El Centro to study, make friends, socialize, and lock-in on their academic success.

Relationship-Rich Education

El Centro is inspired after Bobby Verdugo and Yoli Ríos’s commitment to a quality and enriching education for all. We model a relationship rich education approach at EKU in conjunction with faculty and staff who are devoted to student success. We believe in a student-centered environment where all students must:

  • Experience genuine welcome and deep care
  • Be inspired to learn
  • Develop a web of significant relationships
  • Explore questions of meaning and purpose

Join us at El Centro to create community, become more engage on campus life, and work towards being the best student version of yourself. ¡Sí se puede!

Related Student Opportunities

Puente Program – A Bilingual First-Year Experience Program that supports and guides students in their transition from high school to the university. Students move in three days prior to other students to participate in faculty-led workshops that explore financial aid, life on campus, academic advising, student support resources, and more information to make your experience at EKU as enriching as possible. This is a free program for all students who wish to participate and sign up before the deadline. Information for the Puente 2025 cohort will be available soon.  

Services

Tutoring

El Centro offers bilingual tutoring and mentoring in multiple subjects and one-to-one language consultants for students interested in study abroad or professional development. Tutoring is offered in a variety of languages including Spanish, German, Russian, Japanese, etc. Additionally, El Centro offers tutoring in subject areas such as social work, business, public health, sciences, anthropology, sociology, etc.

El Centro provides a space to apply the skills learned in language courses in real-world settings through volunteering or service-learning community engagement.

Mentoring

El Centro also offers mentoring services where students meet once a week with a peer mentor. Each student is assigned a mentor based on major, academic, or personal needs. Within each mentoring session, students can receive help with navigating college, class advising, schedule building, networking, interview skills, e-mail best practices, applications, essays, resumes, cover letters, scholarships, etc.

Study Spaces

El Centro offers two study areas: a quiet room upon request (110) and the main lobby (103A) with desktops set up, a digital touchscreen whiteboard, 17 tables, and a couple of whiteboards. Students can borrow markers and other supplies to aid in studying. Additionally, El Centro offers decompression supplies for hands-on crafts to help aid with stress or down time for students. Students can access all materials upon request and availability.

FAQs

No. El Centro is a tutoring service for students interested in practicing and learning multilingual skills. We also offer one-on-one mentoring services for students requiring assistance in academic, professional, and personal areas of their lives.

No, El Centro has something to offer to all students at EKU. In Fall 2024, there were over 5,000 check-ins to the center. Students come to El Centro to study on their own, in groups, to meet with faculty, for language practice, tutoring, mentoring, to attend workshops, socialize, or volunteer in events. It is a home away from home for a lot of our students, and a space where students are empowered to succeed and transform the region upon graduation. Our programming supports student engagement, collaboration, leadership development, employability through cultural and professional enrichment.

Many things! In addition to tutoring, mentoring, and study spaces, El Centro also offers community and academic/social events. You can come visit us to get to know your professors and fellow students better. Additionally, we also offer academic and professional workshops such as help with the FAFSA, International Women’s Day workshop, etc. Some of our social workshops include painting & hand-lettering, K-Pop dance fit, and yoga!

El Centro Events

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Contact Information

Bobby Verdugo & Yoli Ríos Bilingual Peer Mentor and Tutoring Center

Crabbe Library
Room 103-A

859-622-2996