This guide contains ideas and documents from study circle programs throughout the United States. The guide is organized in five parts that cover the following topics: (1) introduction--what are study circles, how do they function?; (2) basic steps in creating a community-wide program; (3) sample documents including program description, community…

The increasing number of Head Start parents returning to school or taking employment has resulted in a decline in parent time volunteering. Many Head Start programs have had to increase their recruitment efforts to attract volunteers from the larger community. This handbook provides a model for the development of a Head Start volunteer program.…

This report describes a project to develop a tutor training model for teaching adults who manifested signs of learning disabilities. A needs assessment was done by surveying previously trained tutors. Existing adult literacy materials and instructional materials specifically developed for individuals with learning disabilities were reviewed and…

Compiled from information contained in the Program Year 1994-95 Annual Narrative Performance Reports submitted by states to the U.S. Department of Education, this paper shares selected information on recent developments in volunteerism in adult education. The paper is organized into three sections. Selected states are highlighted in each section.…

An excessive number of non-fiction books were shelved incorrectly in an elementary school media center where, due to budget cuts, the media specialist depended on fifth grade student volunteers for book shelving assistance. A 12-week training program was developed for the fifth grade media volunteers, who met once a week for 40 minutes. The…

The results of a project to develop training materials for volunteer English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) tutors, and to develop instructional materials for their migrant worker students, are presented here. The first section describes the federally-funded tutor training project, initially intended to focus on migrant workers whose first language…

This report summarizes the proceedings of a conference, "Leading the Way: Partners in Volunteerism," that brought together 170 educators, nonprofit organizations, and students to promote youth volunteerism. In a series of plenary sessions and workshops, attendees discussed the issues that have an impact on the creation and operation of…

An existing 353 project that used professional staff as distance education contact persons for students in General Educational Development (GED) programs in rural areas was modified so that volunteer instructional aides (IAs) could serve as contact persons for GED students choosing the program's home study option. A home study packet to be used in…

During Fiscal Year (FY) 1987, the Allen, Texas, literacy project assisted seven new northeast Texas literacy programs in start-up and trained tutors for the existing program and new programs. For FY 1988, the goal was to fill the perceived need for development of management skills in area literacy programs. A 2-day Regional Adult Literacy…

This manual is a step-by-step, comprehensive guide for the training of development workers produced by the Peace Corps. It begins with introductory ideas and assumptions about development. Notes to the trainers on use of the manual are provided. Materials are then presented for six training sessions: introduction to development, the dynamics of…

This booklet was developed to offer practical advice to those in charge of, or attempting to develop, a small literacy program. The guide is organized in nine narrative sections that provide information on the following topics: beginning a literacy program, assessing the need, program structure, building a program, financing a program,…

A descriptive research study of the educational outreach activities conducted by Ohio theatres used a mail questionnaire to survey the 36 professional and large community theatres within the state. Thirty responded, for a response rate of 83.3 percent. For each theatre, the instrument sought information on the kind of theatre, the number of staff,…

The Harvard Adult Literacy Initiative was established in the Harvard University School of Education through the university's Reading Laboratory in 1987. Basic goals of the initiative are to: provide professional training and find effective procedures for training teachers and administrators in the field of adult literacy; conduct research; develop…

This document, intended for Literacy Volunteers of America tutors, explains how to carry out collaborative small group tutoring. Chapter 1 explains the benefits of small group tutoring and collaborative learning. Chapter 2 tells what factors to consider when forming a small group (e.g., whether there is a desire to be in a small group, the…

This Peace Corps training manual was developed from two existing manuals to provide a comprehensive training program in fish production for Peace Corps volunteers. The manual encompasses the essential elements of the University of Oklahoma program that has been training volunteers in aquaculture for 25 years. The 22 chapters of the manual are…