Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteering with Literacy Source

Volunteers play an important role in helping us support students as they work toward literacy, improving language skills, citizenship, better jobs, and better lives.

At Literacy Source we believe:

Volunteers bring a wealth of skills, talents, ideas, and resources that create an environment where students can learn, thrive and achieve their goals.

The trusting relationships formed between volunteers and students are invaluable to the success of our mission.
In supporting our volunteers by offering a helpful, educational environment with ongoing training and resources to meet their needs and encourage their own personal growth.

Check Out Volunteer FAQs.

READY TO VOLUNTEER?

The first step in becoming a volunteer is to sign up to attend our New Volunteer Orientation held via Zoom on the first Wednesday of every month.

The orientation lasts approx. 1 hr. and provides information about Literacy Source, our students, programs, and volunteer opportunities.

You can contact our Volunteer Program Manager, Caroline, by email or phone (206-782-2050) if you have any questions.

Volunteer Highlights

...during the 2023-2024 school year

179 Volunteers

8,441

Hours

Depending on your interests, skills, and availability a variety of online and in-person opportunities are available:

TUTOR

Provide students with one-on-one assistance outside of the classroom.

Check Out Volunteer FAQs.

CLASS ASSISTANT

Support Literacy Source instructors in a class of 10-25 students.

CONVERSATION PARTNER

Help students practice English listening and speaking skills by facilitating small groups in an informal class setting.

OTHER OPPORTUNITIES

Support Literacy Source by serving on our Board of Directors, Committees, Outreach events, Library management, and Office support.

Volunteer Frequently Asked Questions

Tutoring: We ask tutors to commit to working with a student for at least six continuous months. This allows you to really get to know your learner and develop a good working relationship which greatly benefits a student’s capacity to learn and will be a more valuable experience for you as a volunteer.

Class Assistants: We ask for a commitment of 2 terms (approximately 6 months). Teaching any new class has an introductory period and it will take at least a term or two to feel confident with class and curriculum. Check the Literacy Source Class Google Drive for the current term calendar and class schedule.

Literacy Source provides online training to all volunteers. Depending on which position you are interested in we ask you to complete 8-12 hours of required training before starting. We encourage you to participate in many other training opportunities throughout your volunteer service with Literacy Source. All trainings are free and are open to all current Literacy Source volunteers. Check our Volunteer Trainings page for a list of online trainings.

After your orientation, interview, and pre-service training, when a suitable student becomes available you will receive an email with information about the prospective student match. Students are selected based on shared availability, the interests and preferences you indicated during your volunteer interview, and the student priorities and needs. The student’s advisor will schedule a match meeting during which you and the student will get acquainted, set a schedule, agree on a tutoring contract, and begin discussing what you would like to work on together.

In addition to the foundational trainings, when you are matched with a student you will meet with their instructional advisor who teaches their class. The advisor will provide you with teaching materials and be your main resource and support while you are tutoring. You will be invited to observe the class and to a class tutor cohort meeting once a term. These meetings provide an opportunity to meet with the class instructor and fellow tutors to discuss ideas and receive support. Literacy Source advisors are always available as a resource for help with lesson planning, library materials, and online resources.

Online Volunteer Trainings

Literacy Source is committed to your success as a volunteer by providing training throughout your volunteer service.

All volunteers are asked to participate in approximately 10 hours of free online trainings in the first 2 months of volunteering. Ongoing training support is available and encouraged throughout your volunteer service.

Volunteering in a Literacy Program (ProLiteracy)

This training is a great introductory to volunteering in any literacy program. The course will help you learn about how low-literacy impacts lives across the U.S. You will hear from literacy students and volunteers, find out what it takes to become an effective literacy tutor, and learn how you can help to end low-literacy.

Working with Adult Literacy Learners (Proliteracy)

In this online course, you will identify characteristics of adult learners, find out how adults learn best, identify adult learning challenges, and learn how you can support adult learners.

Note: to access the ProLiteracy trainings for free you will need to create a Membership Login. Please follow these step-by-step instructions for creating the login.

Basic Literacy Tutor Training (Proliteracy)

Twelve self-paced modules for teaching adult emergent readers. Topics include: Working with Adult Literacy Learners/Introduction to Literacy Instruction/The Lesson Plan/Assessment, Goals Setting, & Evaluation/Alphabetics and Word Study/Fluency/Vocabulary/Reading Comprehension Skills and Strategies/Writing Composition and Mechanics/The Language Experience Approach.

ESOL Tutor Training (Proliteracy)

Thirteen self-paced modules for tutoring ESOL adult learners. Topics include: Introduction to ESL/Working with Adult ESL Learners/Introduction to ESL Instruction/The Lesson Plan/Assessment, Goals Setting, & Evaluation/Vocabulary Conversations/Pronunciation/Grammar/Reading/Writing/The Language Experience Approach

Note: to access the ProLiteracy trainings for free you will need to create a Membership Login. Please follow these step-by-step instructions for creating the login.

The Naturalization Interview and Test

This 16 min. video covers the requirements for naturalization, the interview process and components, and shows part of a naturalization interview.

Citizenship Tutor Training (Literacy Minnesota)

This Literacy Minnesota training educates teachers and tutors to assist students in preparing for United States Citizenship through naturalization. Please note, to access this training you will need to create a personal login.

Volunteer in the Adult ESL Classroom (Literacy Minnesota)

This training prepares new volunteers to work in an adult ESOL classroom and provides ongoing development for experienced classroom volunteers. Topics covered include volunteer roles, culture and cultural awareness, responding to errors, and effective floating in the ESOL classroom.

Please note, to acess the training you will need to create a personal login.

Understanding the Reading Process (Proliteracy)

This course introduces adult literacy and ESOL instructors to the reading process. In this course, you will learn about the research behind the components of reading instruction (alphabetics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension). You’ll identify teaching strategies you can use that help students develop their skills in these four component areas. Finally, you will understand how to talk with students about the reading process and how good readers approach reading.

Before, During, and After: Reading Comprehension (Proliteracy)

This course features the Before, During, and After reading technique. This is a technique tutors and teachers can use to help students interact with text and systematically apply reading strategies that will improve their comprehension. This course is highly recommended for class assistants.

Overview of the Writing Process

Participants will be provided with an overview of the components of the writing process: planning, drafting, revising, editing and publishing. Writing tools will be shared with participants that will assist and scaffold students as they engage in the writing process.

Note: to access the ProLiteracy trainings for free you will need to create a Membership Login. Please follow these step-by-step instructions for creating the login.