volunteer
Awa, a student from Ivory Coast was having difficulty with her English as a second language class in the Chicago area. Small wonder since her native language Bombara, is not a written language
but is only a spoken one. Her teacher Dorothy Carlson devised a system of sight word flash cards for Awa and soon the two were stringing sentences together. Now Awa is writing stories a paragraph long.
An inspiring story from the work being done by Literacy Volunteers of Illinois, a group founded in 1979 that matches tutors and learners based on a variety of factors. Importantly, this group also acts as an umbrella resource center for all kinds of literacy programs throughout the state which enables more people to connect for a common purpose. Check out their website at www.literacyvolunteersillinois.org for much more info.
Among programs one finds are one for Illinois Youth Centers in the Department of Corrections and an AmeriCorp operated program.
My friend Katherine, herself a volunteer tutor, (right, above) alerted me to this program. She has been working with a young woman from Siberia (left, above) who knows limited English and wants to improve her writing and speaking skills, particularly since her job in a pediatric dentist's office requires teaching dental hygiene to young patients. Katherine is focused and enthusiastic as is her student and it sounds as if they have made great progress.
Literacy Volunteers of Illinois itself specializes in free one-to-one tutoring for low literate adults and others who want to learn English.
Most programs urge potential volunteers to prepare by attending twelve hours of training which are generally offered on evenings and Saturdays, enabling them to learn some of the problems of illiteracy. Some programs also offer additional training year round to help strengthen skills of tutors.
Once training is complete, tutor and learners are matched according to schedules and locations. A commitment of three to six months is required from both parties and sessions are from one to three hours weekly, based on mutual agreement. Check the Volunteer Directory on the website for other options.
You may contact Literacy Volunteers of Illinois by sending them an email: INFO@LVILLINOIS.ORG
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