Volunteer Opportunities

• Reading and Writing Tutors and Teacher Assistants: Adult Basic Education (ABE) reading and writing tutors work once or twice weekly in the evening, afternoon or mornings with 10 - 16 students and a co-tutor in a learning center. Tutors also plan appropriate learning activities and consult regularly with an Educational Center Coordinator, who is present at all class sessions. Teacher assistants help students individually, or in small groups, cover lessons within a teacher-led class.
• Pre-GED Tutors and Teacher Assistants: Pre-GED tutors teach reading, writing, social studies, language arts, science, and basic math. Volunteers tutor a group of 10 - 12 students with a co-tutor one or two evenings a week. Tutors also plan appropriate learning activities and consult regularly with an Educational Center Coordinator, who is present at all class sessions.
• Student Orientation Volunteers: Intake Counselors, Group Leaders, Test Administrators, and Transitional Counselors help ease students into the program by conducting an orientation, recording background information, administering tests, discussing student goals and facilitating a writing session. We hold weekly student orientations on Monday and Wednesday evenings, and volunteers should be able to commit to attending at least once a week for 3 hours. Student Orientation Volunteers work once a week from 5:30pm - 8:30pm at the Colgate-Palmolive building in mid-town.
• Family Literacy and ESOL Teacher Assistants: Volunteers assist teachers in our Family Literacy Program in various ways: attending class trips, helping with individual, group, and class projects, computer instruction, and childcare while parents attend classes. ESOL volunteers assist small groups or individuals in a teacher-led class. Volunteers should be able to attend at least one class per week.

Volunteer Registration and Training

The first step in volunteering with Literacy Partners is to fill out an application and attend one of our monthly volunteer orientations. Once an application is completed and a resume and references are collected, all qualified prospective volunteers will be invited to the next available tutor training.

To receive more information about volunteering with Literacy Partners, please complete an online request form. If you’d like fax or mail your request in, please print one out here.

Tutor training thoroughly covers strategies for teaching reading and writing to adult learners, including: planning and structuring lessons, responding to student work, implementing a student-centered approach, and assessing student progress. Sessions also include site visits, which allow one to observe or participate in existing groups.

Training schedules vary according to current needs (approximately 20 hours over 4 weeks) and are held approximately four times a year. Training for other volunteer positions, such as intake counselors or test administrators, is usually informal and determined by the center coordinator or a supervisor.

Volunteer Awards and Recognition

As with our students, we often recognize our volunteers for their talents, time and dedication in carrying out our mission. The talents of our volunteers are indispensable and truly inspire hope within our our students. In addition to the Student-Volunteer and Staff Volunteer Awards, Literacy Partners annually awards a Volunteer and Educator of the Year Award at the year-end Reading Celebration.

Upon completion of tutor training, all trainees receive a certificate of accomplishment along with a small token of appreciation. Recognition of all volunteers include a small gift with our holiday card, complimentary tickets for the cocktail and reading portion of our annual gala, and a gift as well as recognition during National Volunteer Week each April.

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