Get Involved
Volunteers are the heart and soul of our organization. Nearly 150 community members give their time every year, serving as tutors, joining our board and committees, and offering their skills in a variety of other ways.
Our main need is for tutors. We pair tutors with students, based on their needs and areas of interest. Then a tutor works one-on-one, helping a student reach his/her goals.
Besides tutoring, there are other ways to volunteer, including marketing, fundraising, finance, governance, and office support. Please visit our Other Ways to Volunteer section to learn more.
Become a Tutor
All interested volunteer tutors complete the application below and take roughly 15 hours of training before we pair you with a student whose needs align your abilities and interests. We do our best to create learning pairs that will thrive.
Tutoring requires about 1-2 hours a week. You will meet with your student one-on-one, remotely or in-person, and help them work towards their goals. Examples of goals might be receiving a high school diploma, obtaining a driver’s license, securing a better job, voting for the first time, reading to children, or becoming a U.S citizen.
Many people think that tutoring requires teaching experience or the ability to speak another language. But it requires neither. All you need is the desire to help someone.
Our updated Spring 2023 Training Schedule is here.
Apply Today
To become a tutor, please fill out the application form below. We will use the information to notify you of our next scheduled training.
Once you have submitted your application, we will be in touch within 1-2 weeks.
To get started as a volunteer, you may do one of the following:
- Download and complete our Volunteer Application and email it to us at info@LVBangor.org
- Contact us at (207) 947-8451 and we’ll mail you a paper version.
Print out the form, complete it, and hand deliver or mail it to:
Literacy Volunteers of Bangor
354 Hogan Road
Bangor, Maine 04401
Tutor Trainings
All tutors receive orientation and training, which are typically offered twice annually. Volunteers can choose one of two tracks: Basic Literacy or English Language Learning.
Basic Literacy Tutor Training
Helping an adult improve his or her reading does not require an education degree. It does require patience, flexibility, and the desire to help transform an adult’s life through literacy. The training certification provides teaching strategies, adult learning models, information on learning disabilities, and lesson planning.
English Language Learning Tutor Training
Teaching a person to speak and read English doesn’t require that you know their language. You just need the patience and desire to teach language, reading skills and cultural differences. This training certification covers second language acquisition, working with cultural differences, and teaching methods.
Training Schedules
The next tutor training is planned for spring 2023.
Basic Literacy Tutor Training:
The written word bombards us daily. We’re expected to read information constantly. For about 25% of our population, reading proficiently is difficult and sometimes impossible. Teaching an adult to read does not require an education degree. It does require patience and desire to transform and adult’s life through literacy. The 14-hour training certification provides teaching strategies, adult learning models, information on learning disabilities and lesson planning.
| Date | Session | Instructor | Location | Time |
| 3/16/23 | Introduction to Literacy | Mary Marin Taylor | Brewer Community Center | 6-8pm |
| 3/23/23 | Session I / Who Are Our Students | Mary Marin Taylor | Brewer Community Center | 5:30-8:30pm |
| 3/30/23 | Session II / How to Begin | Dee Nichols | Brewer Community Center | 5:30–8:30pm |
| 4/6/23 | Session III / How to Go Deeper | Wendy C. Kasten | Brewer Community Center | 5:30-8:30pm |
| 4/13/23 | Session IV / How to Adapt | Danielle Gabrielli | Brewer Community Center | 5:30-8:30pm |
| TBA | Follow-Up | Tutor Training & Support | EMCC TBD | 6:00-7:30pm |
English Language Tutor Training:
Imagine living in a community where you do not understand the language and cannot read the written word. Now, imagine yourself as part of someone’s solution. Teaching a person to speak and read English doesn’t require that you know the other’s language. It means you have the patience and desire to teach language, life skills and cultural differences. This 14-hour training certification introduces English language acquisition, culture, teaching strategies, approaches and drills.
| Date | Session | Instructor | Location | Time |
| 3/16/23 | Introduction to Literacy | Mary Marin Taylor | Brewer Community Center | 6-8pm |
| 3/23/23 | Session I / Welcome to Teaching EL Students | Cheryl Robertson | Brewer Community Center | 5:30-8:30pm |
| 3/30/23 | Session II / Welcome to Teaching EL Students | Nancy Connor | Brewer Community Center | 5:30–8:30pm |
| 4/6/23 | Session III / Techniques, Tools, & Process | Nancy Connor | Brewer Community Center | 5:30-8:30pm |
| 4/13/23 | Session IV / How to Adapt | Danielle Gabrielli | Brewer Community Center | 5:30-8:30pm |
| TBA | Follow-Up | Tutor Training & Support | EMCC TBD | 6:00-7:30pm |
Spring 2023 Tutor Training Sign Up
Completing this form registers you for Literacy Volunteers of Bangor’s new tutor training. Within a few days of registering, you will receive a confirmation email. To register, click here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Other Ways To Volunteer
Many ways exist to help Literacy Volunteers grow and thrive. Our volunteer committees are vital, as they do much of the organization’s planning and work. Please read below to learn more about each committee, as well as a few specific volunteer roles we are trying to fill.
If you have experience or expertise in any of the following areas, please contact our office at (207) 947-8451, or email info@LVBangor.org.
| Area Of Opportunity | Qualifications |
|---|---|
| Communications Committee | This committee meets monthly and oversees the branded efforts related to marketing, advertising, public and media relations. It generates coordinated TV, radio, print, social media, direct mail, and email communications. Activities include: – Advertising & marketing – Event planning – Graphic design – Media relations – Recruitment/outreach – Social media management and content generation – Writing and editing – Website maintenance |
| Finance Committee | This committee meets quarterly and reviews the overall financial health of the organization. Activities include: – Analyzing financial data, processes, and controls – Budgeting – Financial planning – General accounting |
| Governance Committee | This committee meets monthly and oversees the internal workings of the organization, with a focus on areas like human resources, internal communications, the development and maintenance of official documents, and long-term planning. Related activities include: – Information systems – Insurance/risk management – Law/legal affairs – Personnel management – Review of organizational documents – Strategic planning |
| Resource Development Committee | This committee meets monthly and is charged with networking to raise public support through a number of fundraising efforts. Related activities include: – Corporate sponsorships – Grant writing – Major giving/planned giving – Networking for private support – Special event coordination |
| Tutor Training & Support | This committee meets monthly and includes a core group of experienced tutors. Additional members who can provide professional training on literacy-related topics are also welcome. Related activities include: – Administering satisfaction surveys – Coordinating book or writing clubs – Conference planning – Evaluating training – Maintaining ongoing communication with tutors – Providing content-related training on literacy, language, – culture or related topics – Supporting/mentoring new and existing tutors |
| Office Support | When we undertake large projects, like mailings or preparing for trainings, our volunteers are there to help. If you are interested in helping with occasional projects or one of our ongoing efforts, we’d love to have you. Projects include tasks like: – Copying/collating projects – Customer relations (out-bound calls) – Data entry – Filing and maintaining records – Mailings – Other project-based work |
Volunteer Stories
Our volunteers say the rewards of volunteering are far greater than the effort. Read the stories to see how getting involved with Literacy Volunteers could impact your life.
Kayla Boucher
“I wanted to be a tutor because my grandfather was a longtime student and it changed his life,” Kayla Boucher says.
Kayla is studying elementary education at UMaine. She was raised by her grandparents, Ed and Janice Boucher. Ed hid his low literacy for nearly 40 years before he came to Literacy Volunteers in 1983 and met his tutor, Joyce. Thus began a nearly four-decade partnership with Literacy Volunteers. From student to board member, Ed gave his all, and became a powerful literacy advocate. Kayla personally witnessed the difference literacy made in Ed’s life.
Kayla is enormously proud of Ed’s achievements. After he passed away in January 2022, Kayla decided to bring his story full circle, sharing his legacy by giving the gift of literacy to others as a tutor.
Irene von Hoffmann
Irene von Hoffman has mastered long-distance tutoring. She has one student who moved to Virginia before they finished their work together, and another who lives in China. She uses a variety of tools: phone, text, WeChat, and Zoom. She’s become good friends with both students; one son calls Irene “Grandma.”
When she retired 10 years ago, Irene looked around for a satisfying volunteer position. “I took the training and I’ve been doing it ever since. I’ve had students from Thailand, Cambodia, Korea, China, Brazil, and Iran. So, I’ve worked with a variety of students. It’s been a great experience. I’ve really enjoyed it. I’m glad I found this program because it has allowed me to use my skills in so many areas.”
Kris Currier
Kris is one of dozens of volunteers who doesn’t tutor, but work behind the scenes. For over ten years she has been the genius behind our radio ads and many of our marketing materials. She also served a record four years as president of the Board of Directors.
Kris says, “The importance of being of service was instilled in me at an early age. I love using my communications skills to help promote LVB in our community so future students know there is hope out there. Knowing we are helping adults enhance their literacy skills so they can live more prosperous lives does my heart good.”