​New Volunteer Information Sessions

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We hold Volunteer Information Sessions in December/January and again in Au​gust for our Adult Literacy and ESOL programs. Prospective AL and ESOL volunteers must attend a Volunteer Info Session to learn about the various volunteer roles available in the coming semester, the expectations for each role, and any related training requirements. ​

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Learn about becoming a volunteer tutor in our 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 online over Zoom on...

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• Aug 7 (6-7pm) 

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​To sign up for an Information Session, click here.

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An information session may run longer than an hour depending on the number of people attending and the number of questions asked.

 

Following the 1-hour Info Session, if you would like to continue new volunteers are required to attend a 12-hour pre-service training that will be held in August. 

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Note: New volunteers must choose between AL or ESOL and complete one of the following:

1) Adult Literacy Program: 12-hour Adult Literacy tutor training series (2 weekday evenings & a Saturday in August). This training introduces our approach and curriculum for teaching an adult how to read or improve their reading.

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2) ESOL Program: 12-hour ESOL tutor training series (2 weekday evenings & a Saturday in August). This training introduces our approach and curriculum for teaching or co-teaching a class to teach adults English.

 

Other volunteer and tutor roles do not require a full 12-hour training series - these roles include tutoring a teen or adult GED student, tutoring an adult intermediate-level reader, or serving as a greeter at our reception desk.

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The 12-hour Tutor Training is described below. Feel free to email us at info@durhamliteracy.org if you have any questions.

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​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. 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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