Role of Volunteerism


At least since the 1950s, people have taken a strong interest in nation-wide volunteerism, particularly in the public schools. Some of these people have taken on the role of literacy tutor.

These days, many volunteer tutorial programs are responding to what’s been termed a literacy crisis. But rather than being reactive, coordinators of these volunteer tutorial programs are attempting to be pro-active. We are asking how education, specifically how literacy, can actively shape our society. That is, how can literacy help us create a more deliberate, democratic society? How do we want literacy to shape our children’s lives and our social institutions?
Participating in a tutorial program, whether as an administrator, teacher, tutor, or tutee, means taking part in this forward-looking community activism. It means nurturing democracy through literacy.
And it means shaping children’s literacy education so as to yield desired outcomes. The overarching mission of volunteerism, tutorial programs, and education can be broad and a bit overwhelming with new tutors and administrators asking, What can I do? Where do I start? Those of us who pursue educational ideals are just ordinary people who believe in social change and who learn by reading, talking, and doing. This guide is a practice-centered response to some of the qualms as well as some of the hopes that new tutors might have. It provides practical suggestions for literacy tutors, lessons that we’ve learned in our own literacy programs.