Hinsdale Central students pitch PaaS tutoring program to Burr Ridge trustees

At the Village of Burr Ridge board meeting on Oct. 13, 2025, Hinsdale Central students presented PaaS (Pure Athlete Student Scholars), a peer tutoring program aimed at supporting student athletes with flexible study sessions and mental-health resources.

Ari Bridal, who founded the program as a sophomore, said he created PaaS because “as a Hinsdale Central student athlete, it's hard going to practice 6 days a week while having lots of exams, AP courses, extracurricular activities,” and that the group expanded this summer to Hinsdale South. Milan Bridal and Yusuf Rafreeq described partnerships with the public library, the community house and the Hinsdale Central board of education, and said the program logs attendance and outcomes to guide outreach and improvement. Yusuf Rafreeq said the program had tracked roughly 400 student hours and had recruited more underclassmen after targeting freshman physics classes and handing out flyers.

Trustees asked about how data are used and whether tutors receive compensation. The students said tutors earn NHS or community-service hours rather than monetary pay. On the prospects of using artificial intelligence to analyze outcomes, the presenters said they have not used AI so far but might consider it in the future.

The presentation concluded with trustees thanking the students and requesting contact information and photos for village records. The board did not take formal action on PaaS; the presentation served as an informational item.