This case study investigates Carolyn, an effective volunteer ESL and literacy instructor of adult African refugees, in order to understand both what it means to be a qualified instructor, and also how community-based volunteer instructors may become more qualified. The study's findings suggest that Carolyn's qualifications are a combination of…

Although the concept of communities of practice (CoPs) has been applied to many fields, the application within the context of the senior citizens' interaction must be different from those in the vocational arena. In Toy Clinic Shops (TCSs) in Taiwan, senior volunteers together sharpen their skills of repairing toys for school children, which can…

Library-based adult literacy programs rely on volunteers to provide tutoring services to adult learners. A high percentage of volunteer tutors are matched with a reading-disabled adult literacy learner. Although all tutors are required to complete preservice tutor training, there is a limited amount of research that documents whether they utilize…

This booklet provides guidance on the support of volunteers in adult literacy and basic skills work. It outlines recommendations that provide practical advice as well as a framework for action to ensure that the quality of basic education provision is maintained and improved. Topics include financial implications in providing support for…

The authors discuss voluntarism, citizen involvement, adult education, and why and how adult educators should train suitable volunteers for service in adult education. They offer guidelines for administrators of a voluntary operation. (MF)

Interviews 16 volunteer adult literacy tutors, finding that many of them do not implement strategies and practices currently recognized as most effective, but tend to implement strategies to which they themselves were exposed as learners, possibly leading to feelings of frustration and defeat for their clients. (SR)

A project was designed to establish a model linkage between a well-established community service organization and an adult basic education (ABE) program. During 1982-83 members of the State College Kiwanis Club were recruited and trained as tutors in the State College Area School District ABE/General Educational Development (GED)/English as a…

This handbook is intended to help Adult Basic Education (ABE) volunteers in recruiting students for ABE programs. General information on the College of the Albemarle and on continuing education programs appears first. A glossary of adult learning terminoloqy and a brief history of ABE follow. The next section discusses four basic recruitment…

The authors present a first-hand account of the massive literacy program in Nicaragua. They describe the political rationale and the extensive organizational tasks of the National Literacy Crusade, pointing out that its success depended upon the commitment of the people and the government to literacy and liberation. (Author/SK)

An evaluation of the VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) Literacy Corps was conducted to provide a description of the Literacy Corps, numbers of persons served, strategies used, volunteer activities, and project results; to determine the degree to which the program is meeting its goals; and to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the…

This handbook is designed to assist educators in establishing a project that uses volunteers as tutors in an adult education program. It is based on the experiences of a model project conducted by the State College Area School using Kiwanis volunteers. A section on recruitment/publicity lists the activities conducted and resulting publicity items.…

This guide provides materials to help adult educators in organizing and developing volunteer literacy programs for the functionally illiterate adult. Introductory materials include a brief history of the Volunteer Adult Reading Program (VARP) and the philosophy and rationale of the program. A list of questions and answers follows that are intended…

Discusses the types of volunteer programs presently in operation in adult basic education and compares their effectiveness. (GB)

The Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council (GPLC) has made a strong commitment to professional development for its paid staff and ongoing training for its volunteers. During its 25-year history, GPLC has faced three challenges as it implemented its current staff development system. In this article, the author discusses these three challenges: (1)…

This handbook is designed to provide guidance particularly to inexperienced coordinators of adult literacy volunteer tutor programs or to those isolated from support personnel or structures. It is not a curriculum to be followed from beginning to end, but a selection of materials from all states in Australia. Each section contains references and…