Revolutionizing homework help

By Emily Manin

This past December, So2Speak Homework Bar and Lounge opened in Bala Cynwyd, serving as a place for middle and high school students to get help on their homework, study, and socialize. Since its opening, the non-profit business has been gaining popularity and momentum.

So2Speak’s original mission was to teach people of all ages to speak fluently and to improve their public speaking, through a program called Strive2Speak. The co-founders of So2Speak, Edward Kraftmann, Jonathan Krause, and Ronit Tehrani were inspired to pursue this mission by Harvey Dolinsky, a man who stuttered and was on account of this denied entrance to the draft for the Korean War. He subsequently developed ways to minimize his stuttering and shared his techniques with others.

So2Speak, which offers tutoring and a homework bar, is also dedicated to what Kraftmann, Krause, and Tehrani have dubbed “Education2Enrichment.” Students can pay $15 to visit the homework bar for one day, or monthly fees of $295 or $395 that provide access to the homework bar and to an hour of tutoring. Students can also sign up for one-on-one tutoring and PSAT/SAT preparation. Maura Hess ’16 pointed out that “some people have very chaotic and loud environments with their families, so So2Speak is really great to just go in, sit down, and get to work.”

Beyond academics, So2Speak offers driver education through a program called Driven2Drive. It also holds poetry and comedy nights, movie nights, and karaoke parties. So2Speak was designed, in the words of Krause, to be “a place where kids want to be, not where they have to be.”

Aside from the illuminated homework “bar” and many areas to study or discuss academics there is a kitchen that serves snacks and a pool table for students who want a study break. On the second floor, students can take advantage of the ping pong table and a room that serves as a place for fitness, robotics, drama, and more. Junior Daniella Levin’s favorite part of So2Speak is the fitness class that “varies from boot camp, kickboxing, pilates, weight training, and hip hop week to week.”

Despite the many non-academic opportunities, Mira Franzel ’16 states that “there is an emphasis on academics.” Franzel, Levin, and Hess really appreciate the help they received on their Into the Wild papers for English class. Hess said of the experience, “[My English tutor] really helped me put my thoughts into words.”

So2Speak’s novel mission, along with what Hess calls an “open and welcoming” atmosphere, is something that the area has been lacking. Students from private and public school districts throughout the Main Line are taking advantage of it. If you are searching for a place to get help with homework or standardized test preparation, get involved in fitness or a variety of arts and science clubs, or just meet new people, head over to So2Speak on Montgomery Avenue.

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