YMCA Community Literacy

We have an amazing need for volunteers who assist adults and school-aged students improve their reading and English language skills through the following main programs.

The Literacy Council offers one on one tutoring for adults who need to improve their reading, many of whom hope to get their reading skills high enough to take GED classes. Once a learner has reached a 6th grade reading level, they are referred to other programs to help them attain higher skills. The Literacy Council also offers one on one tutoring for immigrants and refugees to help them feel more comfortable in their new home and to reach other goals such as being able to communicate in our society or U.S. citizenship. Throughout the program, our tutors encourage their learners to set goals, to develop objectives to reach those goals, and to never give up. Whether you tutor an American or an immigrant, the tutoring takes place once a week for about 1½ hours at local libraries.

The YRead Program focuses on academically at-risk, school-age children who have been referred by their teachers or parents. Students are assessed to determine their reading level, and then matched with a tutor. The parents and tutors are asked to commit to two sessions per week for up to one year, to work on phonics, sight words, and reading comprehension.

We work to match our students and tutors at libraries and during times that are convenient for both parties.