JENNIFER SZABO TUTORING PROGRAM MANAGER Literacy Council of Montgomery County New Tutor Information Session

Agenda  Literacy needs in Montgomery County  What is the Literacy Council  Who we serve  What we offer  How you can help  Tutor program curriculum  Application review  Questions

Literacy Needs in County  162,500 residents are Limited English Proficient (MCCAEL.org)  Approximately 22,047 parents are LEP (Based on one parent/household) (MCCAEL.org)  79,500 adult county residents do not have a high school diploma (Census.gov)

What is the Literacy Council?  Our Mission: To enable adults to transform their lives and enrich our community through English literacy.

Who We Are  Private nonprofit 501(c)(3)  Founded in 1963  Our funding comes from foundation grants, individual and corporate contributions and a service contract from the county  In FY14, we served 1330 students with 68, 919 hours of instruction in all programs combined  Largest volunteer-based literacy/English tutoring organization in the county with approximately 330 active tutors

Who We Serve JoySteveElaine

What We Offer  ESL Classes  Conversation Classes  Computer Language Lab  Tutoring  Workplace Literacy

How You Can Help BECOME A VOLUNTEER TUTOR

Tutoring Program English as a Second Language (reading, writing, listening, and speaking) 100% Foreign-born Basic Literacy (reading and writing) 30% American-born 70% Foreign-born We serve learners with skills below the 4 th grade level

Tutor Eligibility Requirements  Must be at least 18 years old  Have the ability to speak, understand, read, and write English well enough to communicate clearly  Make a one year minimum commitment  Complete a two-day training workshop  Do not discriminate. As per LCM C practice: Staff and volunteers respect and work with people of diverse backgrounds without discrimination on the basis or race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual-orientation, age, height, weight, marital or familial status, disability or handicap. Harassment or discrimination of any kind will not be tolerated and will result in immediate dismissal from all programs conducted or sponsored by the LCMC.

Tutor Responsibilities  Twice weekly sessions (80 hours/year)  Total- 2 hours tutoring per week  Meet in a public place, preferably a public library  Monthly report submission  Student progress & goals achieved  Hours  Patience  Flexibility

To remain in our program, tutors MUST be in good standing :  Submit monthly reports by the 5 th of every month  Have a monthly tutoring hour average that supports a minimum of 80 hours of instruction/year  Goal: 2 hours/week x 4 weeks/mo = 8 hours/month  80 hour minimum can be reached in approximately 10 months, leaving flexibility for missed classes due to illness, travel, weather, etc.  Students are also held accountable and must remain in good standing to continue in our program. Tutor eligibility and status is determined at the discretion of LCMC staff.

Benefits  Convenient schedule/location  Develop/improve Skills  Learn about different cultures and experiences  Fun!

Training  Two-day, 10-hour workshop  Punctual attendance at both sessions is required  Both days required for certification  Tutors missing any part of either session are not eligible for certification

Matching with a Student  Availability  Location (public)  Preferences  Waitlist

150+ Wait-listed Students  High Demand Areas  Wheaton/Aspen Hill  Silver Spring/Long Branch  White Oak  Rockville  Gaithersburg  Germantown  Low Demand Areas:  Boyds  Poolesville  Quince Orchard  Potomac  Bethesda/Chevy Chase/Kensington/ Davis  Takoma Park

Tutor Support  Follow-on sessions  Conference Calls  CTEs (Continuing Tutor Education)  LCMC website  In-house library  Tutor rooms  Post-training one-on-one advice from coordinator  Monthly newsletter

Curriculum Laubach Way to Reading/English In use over 70 years worldwide  Phonics-based  Establish letter-sound relationships  Known to unknown  Familiar vocabulary  Meaningful context

Levels  Four Skill Levels  Students may begin at any level  Progress is goal dependent  80 hours of instruction = level completion

Materials  Teacher Manual (loaner)  Used in class  Scripted  Student workbooks (no charge to learner)  Examination materials (check up)

Your impact? You will teach your students essential literacy & life skills that will transform their lives.

Milton’s Story

Next Steps 1. Fill out the tan application and give it to our volunteer at the registration table. (Print address clearly.) 2. Sign and submit Tutor Policies and Agreement. 3. If you are ready to register for a workshop, please include a non-refundable $25 application fee. 4. If you are unsure, you may take an envelope with you and mail in your check. 5. A staff member will be contacting you regarding your application status.

Thank you…. … for considering becoming a LCMC volunteer. We hope to welcome you to our volunteer network soon!

LCMC Headquarters Literacy Council of Montgomery County 21 Maryland Avenue Suite 320 Rockville, MD Tel: