by: Ayla McDonald
With National Volunteer Month coming up in April, now is the perfect time to consider volunteering as an English, math or reading tutor with the tutoring program, Project READ.
Part of a larger educational outreach organization through the Department of the Illinois Secretary of State and funded by the Illinois State Library, Project Read is a free tutoring program that serves the community of Champaign-Urbana and the Parkland College District by offering free literacy services to adults who are at or below a seventh-grade English reading level.
According to the Project READ webpage at parkland.edu, “Project READ provides free tutoring to adult learners who seek to improve their reading, writing, math, and/or English as a Second Language skills… Tutors work with learners in public locations such as libraries, churches, and Adult Basic Education classrooms. Most popular are the free drop-in tutoring sites offered in Champaign, Urbana, and the surrounding area each week.” During a one-week period, Project READ meets at several locations throughout the Champaign-Urbana area, all of which are accessible by public transport. Some locations offer trained childcare facilities during tutoring sessions. A list of Project READ locations and further information about the program can be found at parkland.edu.
Project READ tutors Maryann Mercer and Linda Bair told the Prospectus that volunteering with Project READ teaches respect of cultural boundaries and is a good opportunity, especially for young volunteers who are interested in education, to experience what it is like to teach.
Regarding teaching English to non-native speakers, “We are their television.” Mercer said. “Learners can spend 6-10 hours a week with us to give themselves an intensive language experience that they bring home to their families. The golden target we’re all trying to get to is usage.”
Bair also shared her experience as a tutor. “I got started in tutoring in general because…as I learned Spanish starting at the age of 59 or 60 I realized how difficult it was to learn a new language, especially as an adult, and I got interested in [ESL]…Once I started doing it I just fell in love with the process of teaching somebody to learn a new language.” Bair said. “I really like the idea of the program because it’s free. People are tested when they come in so we can understand their level and to make measured improvements because the grant requires that, not only that you come and stand and deliver, but that you make a difference in their level of attainment.”
Tutors can work with leaners in group settings and one-on-one. The only requirements to be a volunteer tutor with Project READ are that applicants must have graduated from high school and must go through a volunteer training process.
“All tutors have to go through training which I think is really good, that accounts for some of [it] being a good academic program, you’re going to get decent tutoring.” Bair said. “I would actually encourage people to take advantage of the flexibility and try out different aspects of the program. If you have time to volunteer, maybe try out tutoring in a class or try out one-to-one or try out the drop-in. The drop-in is really good because you can try different things, you can maybe tutor math, you can maybe tutor your small group of people, or maybe tutor a larger group of people.”
“I would say the biggest challenge for the program is getting enough tutors. There’s no shortage of learners once they discover this program and discover how good it is.” Bair said. “My advice would be just try it. Go through the training. I suspect that if you have teaching inclinations you’ll fall in love with tutoring. The interaction excitement of helping somebody learn something, there’s just nothing like it.”
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Information about volunteer training and a link to the Project READ training sign-up page can be accessed through the Project READ webpage online at parkland.edu.
