Literacy Volunteers of Illinois- VOCAL

The goal of the VOCAL - Volunteer Outreach for Community Action in Literacy –program is to expand literacy services in local communities by recruiting, placing and training individuals to serve as literacy specialists and program associates in community and faith-based literacy programs serving economically disadvantaged adults. As a literacy specialist or program associate, members tutor, recruit tutors, and/or serve as job coaches or employment specialists. Members are also involved with a variety of community outreach, program planning, policy development and social and volunteer engagement activities within those programs. The VOCAL program also works within the Illinois Youth Centers of the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice, where members serve as tutors and mentors to incarcerated youth as well as tutor recruiters and tutor trainers in the Jump Start programs within the Centers. Full-time, part-time and minimum-time placements are available. The VOCAL program also has a program within its program specific to the Kewanee community in central Illinois, with part-time members serving in various after-school programs and social service agencies. Serve as a one-to-one and/or small group tutor for adults and out-of-school teens; maintain records of sessions, including materials used, lessons reviewed, progress made; may recruit and/or assist in recruiting individuals to be volunteers tutors; may conduct orientations for new volunteers; may conduct basic skills and literacy assessments; may assist in the matching of tutors and students; may provide on-going communication and support to volunteers.