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Volunteer Information Sessions & Training

New Volunteer Information Sessions
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We rely on volunteers to fulfill our mission to support adults and older youth in meeting their educational goals. We invite you to join our volunteer corps in this highly impactful and meaningful endeavor!
 
We hold Volunteer Information Sessions in early January and again in Au​gust each year. ​
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Learn about becoming a volunteer tutor in our Youth Achievement, Adult Literacy, or ESOL Programs by attending one of the following Information Sessions: 
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The next 1-hour Info Sessions will be held on:
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  • January 10, 6-7pm (online over Zoom)

  • January 11, 6-7pm (in-person at Durham Literacy Center)

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​To sign up for an Information Session, click here.
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Steps to become a volunteer tutor:

  1. Attend an Info Session to learn about opportunities (Info Session attendance is required before training for Adult Literacy and ESOL programs)

  2. Choose which program you want to volunteer in: Adult Literacy 1-1 tutoring, ESOL group instruction or Youth Achievement (GED) 1-1 tutoring or program aide

  3. Participate in pre-service training session in mid- to late-January or August (12-hours for Adult Literacy and ESOL, respectively)

  4. Commit to tutoring for at least a semester (February-June)

  5. Receive your volunteer assignment based on your interest, the training you completed and your availability.

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AL and ESOL volunteers must complete all training modules before placement and the Youth Achievement Program has unique volunteering opportunities - details will be reviewed in the Info Sessions. More info for YAP can be found here. 
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1) Adult Literacy Program: 12-hour Adult Literacy tutor training series (2 weekday evenings & a Saturday in January and August). This training introduces our approach and curriculum for teaching an adult how to read or improve their reading.
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 - OR -
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2) ESOL Program: 12-hour ESOL tutor training series (2 weekday evening online sessions & a Saturday in-person session in January and August). This training introduces our approach and curriculum for teaching or co-teaching a class to teach adults English.
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**Some volunteer opportunities do not require a full 12-hour training series. These roles will be discussed at the Info Sessions. 
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See below for more details on the AL and ESOL 12-hour Tutor Training sessions. 
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Feel free to email us at info@durhamliteracy.org if you have any questions.
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​Additional Info on Adult Literacy Tutor Training & ESOL Tutor Training: 

​Our Adult Literacy Tutor Training and ESOL Tutor Training are two separate training programs that are usually held concurrently, so volunteers much choose which program they want to volunteer in. Volunteers must complete the appropriate training to serve in their program of interest.
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  • The Adult Literacy Tutor Training is required for prospective volunteers who want to teach an adult how to read and write. The majority of adult learners served in our Adult Literacy program speak English as their first (or only) language. The training will focus primarily on multi-sensory phonics instruction. 

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  • The ESOL Tutor Training is required for prospective volunteers who want to teach or co-teach a group English class. The majority of ESOL learners were born in other countries and want to improve their ability to communicate in English. The training will focus on methods for teaching adults to read, write, speak, and listen in English. In addition to the Info Session attendance (see above), prospective ESOL volunteers can complete our online volunteer application.

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Each training series comprises 12 hours of instruction and hand-on practice designed to provide our tutors with an in-depth understanding of our respective students, the assessments we use with students, the research-based curricula they will use in their lessons, proven techniques for engaging students in active learning, and lesson planning.
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We offer this training in August and January. The training takes place over two evenings and a Saturday during the course of a week (e.g., Tuesday evening (6-9pm), Thursday evening (6-9pm), and Saturday (9am-3pm). All sessions are required. If you can't make one of the sessions, please talk to us before starting the training so that we can determine whether and how to compensate for the missed session. We might have alternative teaching opportunities that are better suited for individuals who cannot attend all three sessions (e.g., working one-on-one with an adult GED student or assisting a lead tutor in a literacy-level ESOL class). 
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The training usually takes online via Zoom, in-person or a combination of both. 
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You must sign up to attend all three days of training prior to the first day of training. Please contact us to sign up or to get more information about the information sessions and training at info@durhamliteracy.org. Thank you!
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