According to Midcoast Literacy, there is a significant need for volunteer reading tutors to help young students who are struggling to read at grade level. (Courtesy photo)
Midcoast Literacy, a nonprofit that provides free literacy tutoring to people of all ages, is holding two training sessions for new volunteer tutors this spring: one for volunteers who want to work with kids and one for volunteer English language tutors for adults.
Midcoast Literacy serves individuals in Sagadahoc, Lincoln, and northern Cumberland counties, and is seeking volunteers who come from any of these communities. Demand for one-on-one tutoring is high, especially for children who are struggling to read at grade level, so the need for new volunteers to come forward right now is significant.
“We tutor all year-round and always have new learners enrolling in our programs,” said Katie Clark, Midcoast Literacy program director. “If you or someone you know can give two hours a week to help a child read better, there is a real need in our area. By tutoring a child twice a week after school, you can make a tremendous difference in a young student’s life.”
Midcoast Literacy’s two three-day tutor trainings will be held at their offices at 9 Park St. in Bath.
The session for those who want to work with school-age children will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Monday, May 19; Wednesday, May 21; and Friday, May 23. For more information or to sign up, email Clark at k.clark@midcoastliteracy.org.
The session for people who want to work with adult immigrants who are learning to read, write, and speak English will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday, June 10-12.
An online, on-demand training course is also available for people interested in working with adult learners. For more information or to sign up, email Diana Krauss at als@midcoastlit.org.
Pre-registration and participation in all three days of the training is required for both programs. Volunteer tutors must be at least 18 years old and make an initial commitment to tutor once or twice a week for 12 months, with occasional breaks for vacations or holidays. After the first year, many volunteers continue working with their students to help them get closer to their reading goals.
“I was apprehensive about tutoring at first since I had no prior teaching experience, but my tutee’s respect and gratitude made me feel more confident each week,” said volunteer tutor Andrea Schademan. “He gained a lot of confidence too after a few months. I love working with him because of his positive attitude.”
Midcoast Literacy is a nonprofit organization based in Bath that has been providing free literacy programs to people of all ages in Lincoln, Sagadahoc, and northern Cumberland counties for 54 years. Through a wide range of family and adult literacy programs, the dedicated staff and volunteers strive to help children and adults develop their literacy skills, so they can succeed through all stages of life. For more information, go to midcoastliteracy.org.
Midcoast Literacy offers two three-day training sessions for volunteers who want to help school-age children and or adult immigrants learn to read, write, and speak English. (Courtesy photo)
