What would you do if you could not read road signs? Or menus? Or your child's forms that they bring home from school? Unfortunately, this hypothetical is a reality for approximately 9,000 adults in the Charlottesville-Albemarle area. Whether a native-born Virginian who never had the right circumstances to learn to read or a refugee encountering English as an entirely new language, the need for literacy education is prevalent.
Luckily, nonprofits such as Charlottesville's Literacy Volunteers work to tackle this issue through free English language instruction. Adult learners are paired with their own tutor, whose one-on-one lessons allow them to accomplish their goals, whether they be in career, citizenship, or more. Even with the pandemic, Literacy Volunteers was able to serve over 250 students this past year.
Still, the virus has created holes in the nonprofit's volunteer resources. As literacy continues to be as important an issue as ever, Literacy Volunteers is seeking English tutors. These tutors, who will each be paired with an adult learner, are essential to the functioning of the nonprofit, as they put in the work necessary to address low literacy rates and undereducation.
The volunteers not only get the opportunity to see a person's academic dreams come to fruition but the chance to interact with remarkable people. "They have multiple jobs [and] children at home, but they are choosing to make education a priority," explains Community Engagement Specialist Heather Tebbenhoff. She noted that her experience in volunteer management and passion for reading had brought her to the nonprofit. Growing up in a predominantly white small town, she did not know any immigrants or refugees, so Literacy Volunteers opened her eyes to both new cultures and the similarities we all share. "So many of our volunteers tell us that they learn more from their students than their students learn from them."
This statement is no surprise after hearing the stories of Literacy Volunteers' students. Some adult learners have been through unimaginable struggles, such as a refugee from the Democratic Republic of the Congo who fled on foot for months following the bombing of his home. Now, with the help of Literacy Volunteers, he has been able to earn his GED, work as a CNA, and become an American citizen.
While prospective volunteers may fear a lack of qualifications, Tebbenhoff assures, "Volunteers come from every walk of life." As long as an adult comes with patience, passion, and solid reading/writing/communication skills, they can be a great tutor.
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, the next volunteer training session will be a series of three Thursdays from 6:00 - 8:00 pm on July 29th, August 5th, and August 12th. The training sessions will teach the basics of tutoring, work through a textbook series, and provide approximately one hour of 'homework' per week to ultimately culminate in an eight-hour course. Once completed, volunteers will be paired with their adult learners, whom they are expected to work with for at least one hour per week for a year.
After this year, not only will adult learners have made real progress in their journey toward literacy, but tutors will have gained a broader perspective. Tebbenhoff illuminates, "Volunteering gives this new lens to look at the world and understand the struggles that some of our neighbors are experiencing."
If you are interested in volunteering for Literacy Volunteers, sign-ups can be made at https://www.cvillevolunteer.org/need/detail/?need_id=22926.
If you are interested in supporting Literacy Volunteers outside of volunteering, donations can be made at https://literacyforall.org/donate. A contribution of $30 covers the cost of a student's textbook.
