One in five adult Americans is functionally illiterate, which means they cannot even fill out a job application in English. That adds up to 30,000 people in Rensselaer County alone. Fighting against the problem are the Literacy Volunteers of Rensselaer County and their army of 250 tutors. “We want people to know that we’re always there to help,” says Barbara Wyman, executive director of Literacy Volunteers.
Tutors undergo a rigorous 24-hour training course so that they can teach both basic literacy and english for speakers of other languages. Once they have finished their training, tutors meet with participants once a week for a few hours. They work on drills that are designed to improve their English. “The best thing is the tutors say they learn so much from the students and their culture. It’s a wonderful experience opportunity,” says Barbara Wyman.
But does it work? All participants are given a pre-test before they begin the program, and then a post-test once they have finished. There is normally a significant increase in the test scores from one year to the next. Some participants have even jumped multiple grade levels after going through the course.
Literacy Volunteers has been helping RPI students for over 35 years of its 38 year existence. Approximately 20 students are enrolled in the program along with some professors and their spouses. Wyman noted, “RPI students bring a wealth of experience and motivation, and it’s great to work with them.”
RPI also helps by volunteering for Literacy Volunteers, with alumni and staff giving their time to support in the program. At a fundraiser, the Literacy Volunteers realized they didn’t have an ambulance. Two RPI alumni were able to obtain one from RPI Ambulance so the race could go on. Rensselaer has also helped sponsor fundraisers, including last December’s Partners in Literacy Breakfast.
Literacy Volunteers can always use more help. Their future plans include putting all 24 hours of training sessions on video so that students who miss a class can make it up. Right now, they are limited by the amount of volunteers and resources that they have. If you would like to volunteer or participate in the program you can contact the Literacy Volunteers of Rensselaer County at 274-8526 or via e-mail at troy16@aol.com.
