LiteracyCNY trains volunteers to be adult literacy tutors! Volunteer assignments can be:
- one-to-one tutors, working with an adult who wants to improve their basic literacy (reading and writing), or an adult who is learning English.
- tutors who work in a low-level English Language Leaners (ELL) class, working with small groups of adults at the direction of the classroom teacher
- facilitators for adult English conversation practice groups
Please note: All volunteers must be at least 18 years old, comfortable using a computer for training purposes and email communications, fluent in English, and have completed high school or the equivalent.
Training: Volunteers attend a Volunteer Tutor Informational Session via Zoom, then proceed at their own pace with web-based tutor training modules. The complete tutor training work usually takes 14-16 hours.
Volunteer tutors agree to:
- Abide by agency policies
- Commit to a year of service with LiteracyCNY, and meet weekly with their assigned student
- Complete LiteracyCNY's tutor training (approximately 15 hours)
- Accept an assignment, either to lead an English Language Conversation Group, or with a LiteracyCNY student, or as a tutor in an adult education classroom.
- Hold sessions in a public settings, such as libraries. (Conversation Groups typically take place in public libraries, at library staff request.) Since most LiteracyCNY students live in the City of Syracuse, volunteers must be willing to tutor in the city.
- Complete a monthly questionnaire regarding their tutoring activities
- Volunteers who are comfortable with technology have the option of tutoring remotely (e.g. Zoom or similar).
Have questions? Contact Betsy Lang at blang@literacycny.org or (315) 420-2355.
