Volunteer

SALC is always in need of enthusiastic and committed volunteer tutors. Over fifteen hundred students have already benefited from the time given by caring volunteers, and many more are waiting for tutors. If you are interested in becoming a tutor, please contact us.

Pre-service training: Volunteer tutors complete our 14-hour pre-service training workshop before being assigned a student. This training exceeds the requirements of the national and state organizations in which we hold membership and provides hands-on experience with the materials and methods that will be used in tutoring sessions. The first two-hour session presents background information and explains the Council's procedures for tutoring, testing and recordkeeping. The two six-hour sessions introduce the structured series that will be the core of your tutoring sessions and present supplementary approaches you'll use to help your student reach his/her reading goal. You must complete all three sessions in order to work with a student. An additional training segment is offered for tutors who choose to work with a foreign-born student.

Placement: After completing the training workshop you will be prepared to begin working with a student who has been interviewed and tested by our program.

• You will be matched with a student through the Council's office.
• You will be given a choice of the libraries in the southern suburbs SALC uses as tutoring sites. Tutoring sessions are not conducted in the tutor's or student's home.
• You will be provided the material you will use in your tutoring sessions at no cost to you or your student.
• You and your student will be expected to meet for a minimum of 2 hours each week. Most of our teams meet for one session each week. You are free to meet more often if you and your student can arrange a mutually satisfactory schedule.
• You will be required to comply with the Council's reporting system. This is a simple procedure. You will receive specific instructions and training.

Ongoing Support: All tutors are assigned a Tutor Representative. This experienced volunteer tutor will be available to answer questions, discuss problems and keep you informed of Council events as they are scheduled. You will also have access to program staff at our office in the Dolton Public Library.

The Council maintains a library of material written at reading levels accessible to our students. Fiction and non-fiction selections are available for tutors to use as supplementary reading focused on a student's goals or interests.