Welcome to the Oregon Literacy, Inc.
Volunteer Tutor Orientation

The purpose of this orientation is to provide free information about adult education and volunteer tutoring in Oregon and southwest Washington.

This orientation addresses and answers some of the most frequently asked questions about becoming a volunteer tutor such as:

  • What is the need for volunteer tutors?
  • What are the benefits of becoming a volunteer tutor?
  • What do I need to do to become a certified volunteer tutor?
  • If tutoring is not for me, can I still help advance literacy?
What is tutoring?
The dictionary definition describes a tutor as, "one that gives additional, special, or remedial instruction" to individuals or small groups. The purpose of tutoring is to help students help themselves, or to assist and guide them to the point at which they become an independent learner, therefore no longer needing a tutor.
The Need for Volunteer Tutors

Adult literacy has a significant and profound impact across our communities. The following sections provide examples of the extent of this impact on poverty, crime, health and Oregon and the United States. Click here to read more on Oregon's Literacy Needs.

The Orientation consists of five sections:

  1. Adult Learners and Program Types
  2. Making a Difference as a Volunteer Tutor
  3. Resources Available to Support Volunteer Tutors
  4. Self-Assessment
  5. Other Ways to Support Literacy

Long-Term Rewards and Challenges

"I get a lot of self-satisfaction to be helping people out, it makes them happy and helps me feel better about myself."
    - Mark D., GED recipient and Volunteer Tutor

When working as a volunteer tutor, as with any experience, there are rewards and challenges that come along with it. Below are listed just some of the challenges and many rewards that volunteer tutors across Oregon reported.

Challenges
  • Relating the learning process to students' goals
  • Students may leave the program before meeting their goals due to outside commitments
  • Adult learners bring more to the table in terms of responsibility, commitment and life experience
  • Progress doesn't happen over night - be patient and the results will start to show over time

Rewards
  • Help someone to learn a new skill
  • Sense of personal satisfaction gained by helping others
  • Form lasting relationships
  • Learn about a new person, a new place and a new language
  • Promote intercultural understanding and have fun
  • Gain valuable experience to include on a resume and future job recommendations
  • Participate in valuable training and obtain useful materials
  • Make a difference in your community