Volunteer Opportunites

Be a Volunteer Tutor!

Adult Basic Education (ABE) Tutor: ABE classes are for native English speakers who never learned to read or write properly. These classes are generally taught one-on-one.

English as a Second Language (ESL) Tutor:   ESL classes are meant to teach non-English speakers to communicate in English so that they may achieve a better job, help their children with their homework, read their mail, etc. Tutors do NOT need to speak another language to be an ESL instructor.

Substitute Tutor: Serves as a substitute tutor by filling in when necessary.

"While You're Waiting" Tutor: Tutors a multi-level group in our While You're Waiting program, which is attended by enrolled students waiting to be assigned a regular class. Tutors can volunteer to facilitate this class on a rotation with other tutors.

Workshop/Enrichment Lab Presenter: Leads training workshops for prospective volunteer tutors, as well as helps to update and revise tutor workshop materials.

Computer Tutor: Tutors computer skills in an open-enrollment class attended by students with varying levels of existing computer skills. Must demonstrate an understandingof the needs of adult learners.

New Tutor Mentor: Provides guidance for incoming tutors. Must have previous experience as a tutor.

Off-site Coordinator: Acts as a liaison between Literacy Advance staff, volunteers, students, and off-site location staff. Helps with registration, assessment and class set up, forwards student attendance information to Literacy Advance weekly.

Non-Tutoring Opportunities:

Administrative Volunteer at Literacy Advance Learning Centers: This volunteer opportunity involves helping with general administrative duties at Literacy Advance Wilcrest or Bay Area locations. Volunteers will be trained to help register learners at Literacy Advance locations. Volunteers may also help greet incoming learners/tutors and assist with office functions, such as assembling materials for workshops, answering phones, copying, and filing.

Tutor Committee: Meets once a month. The tutor committee works with staff to organize and assist with various tutor appreciation and social events. This committee will also help organize and staff the annual tutor symposium event as well as other special training events. Committee members who are former tutors can also volunteer to be greeters and tutor buddies in high traffic hours to assist tutors with lesson planning, making copies, and finding resources.

Family Literacy Committee: Meets once a month. Volunteers on this commitee assist with the organization and staffing of Family Literacy events throughout the year at various schools and community centers in Harris County. Volunteering includes assembling materials, event set up, reading to children, overseeing sign-in and book distribution. *Some training or observation may be required for new members.

Champions of Literacy Committee: Meets as needed for upcoming Champions of Literacy events. Volunteers will help prior to the event with organizing, mailings, solicitation of door prizes, raffle items, auction items, etc. Volunteers will also help at the event itself: meeting and greeting, registration, showing guests to their tables, etc.

Literacy Advocates Committee: Meets once a month. Volunteers on this committee are advocates for Literacy Advance. The goal is to recruit tutors and raise awareness through public speaking and appearances. Must be able to do one speaking engagement or volunteer recruitment fair/event per month. Must be willing to seek out speaking opportunities, talk to prospective volunteers, provide printed and verbal information, and collect names of interested parties for Literacy Advance staff to follow up with. Observation of a class is required.

Young Professionals: Meets once a month. Requirements for this volunteer young professional board include: monthly attendance to meetings, volunteer some time at Literacy Advance monthly OR advocate once a month through your company, church, other socail groups, etc., and plan one small fundraiser/advocacy event per year. In return our Young Professional members will be mentored by our executive board and have lots of fun opportunities to network! Observation of class may be required.

Literacy Community Council: Meets once a month. Serve as literacy ambassadors to the immigrant communities in Greater Houston. As literacy ambassadors, Council members will pursue the following activities in collaboration with Literacy Advance of Houston: Explain the importance of adult literacy in public forums, encourage local support for literacy education and resources, recruit literacy volunteers and tutors, honor people who achieve success in literacy and education, organize and support literacy fundraising endeavors annually.

For more information please contact: volunteers@literacyadvancehouston.org.