Volunteer Opportunities – Literacy Services

Virtual GED Tutors at MCJ

One-on-one Tutors

HSED for English Learners Tutors

IT Support

Virtual GED Tutoring - Learn More!

LSW is excited to now be offering GED tutoring at the Milwaukee County Jail (MCJ)! We have had a wonderful group of volunteers help us pilot the program this fall and are looking for additional volunteers to help in 2023.

The GED helps non-traditional students earn a high school credential and consists of 4 standardized tests in the subjects of Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies. Volunteer tutors in this program will work with students virtually to build the knowledge necessary to pass each test. Preference will be given for tutors willing to help with more than one subject.

LSW believes in the importance of equitable access to education and is excited to partner with volunteers and MCJ to help provide transformational opportunities for every student in our service area.

If you are interested in helping provide services in the Milwaukee County Jail, please send an email including your phone number to Madison at Madison@literacyservices.org.

Requirements

Must have valid email address, regular email access, and be comfortable using technology including Zoom
Should be willing to learn alongside their students
Must be available for at least one time slot on either a Monday / Wednesday or Tuesday / Thursday basis
Must be willing to complete a MCJ background check, including fingerprinting
Milwaukee County employees and volunteers must show proof of vaccination

Available Time Slots

Monday / Wednesday

9:00 am – 10:20 am
10:40 am – 12:00 pm
1:00 pm – 2:30 pm
2:45 pm – 4:15 pm

Tuesday / Thursday

9:00 am – 10:20 am
10:40 am – 12:00 pm

Support Education for Adults in Southeastern Wisconsin!

Literacy Services is looking for community members that care about equitable access to education in Southeastern Wisconsin. We are seeking volunteers to work with adults to improve their basic reading, writing and math skills. Come share an hour per week or more with a student and help empower our community through literacy.

Volunteer tutors will work remotely via Zoom, other online platforms, or in-person with adult students. Subjects may include English language communication, math, science, reading, and/or writing. Volunteers will provide support for students to improve their skills and reach their educational goals. Training is provided for all new volunteer tutors.

Fill out an application here to get started: www.literacyservices.org/inquiry

If you have any questions, please email volunteer@literacyservices.org.

Role Responsibilities

Be reliable and inform program staff ahead of any absences
Motivate students with positive reinforcement, patience, and enthusiasm
Refer to training materials to hone skills and find information
Ask questions whenever they arise; program staff are available to assist you
Utilize resourcefulness and problem solving as needed
Report specific concerns or issues to the program staff and assist in resolving any problems

Requirements

Estimated Time Commitment:
Minimum of 1 hour per week with 3 month commitment

Qualifications:

Must be patient, compassionate, supportive, and enthusiastic
Should be independent, resourceful, and creative
Should be willing to learn new things alongside their student
Must have valid email address, regular email access, and be comfortable using technology

High School Equivalency Diploma for English Learners (HSED-EL)

HSED-EL Tutors provide one-on-one virtual tutoring sessions for an adult student who is preparing for, or currently completing, the HSED-EL program.

This following list includes the subject areas students will study in the formal HSED-EL program. Tutors are not expected to be masters of all topics; however, whether you are tutoring a student in the Foundations class or a student in the formal program, you will likely complete work related to these topics. A willingness to learn with your student is essential!

English Language Arts
- Persuasive writing, narrative writing, expository (informational) writing
- Mechanics and conventions
United States History
- Topic: World War II and the Navajo Code Talkers
Math
- Fractions, decimals, percents
- Order of Operations: Rules, with integers, add/subtract integers
- Exponents: Rules, Quotient of powers, Power of products
- One-step & two-step equations; linear equations
- Basic Geometry, some statistics, and ratios
Science & Health
- Topic: Impacts of food choices on health and the environment
Civics
- U.S. History based on the 100 Civics Questions required for graduation by the state of Wisconsin

Schedule

You and your student will determine a tutoring schedule that works for both of you, outside of regularly scheduled class times
You must be able to meet at least one hour per week with your student, though more frequently is preferred, depending on how much support your student needs
Preference for tutors who are able to stay with their student into the summer

Requirements

Commitment: One Semester Minimum (about 4-6 months)
- Virtual tutoring is preferred / In-person tutoring may be considered
Skills/Experience:
- Tech skills needed: Zoom, Google Drive, Google Classroom (training provided)
- Patience, enthusiasm, empathy, positive attitude
- Resourceful, creative, and able to use available resources to help students learn
- Willingness to learn material along with your student
- Experience in education is a plus!

IT Support Volunteers

Technology has become integral to student success. To further support the needs of students, LSW provides access to laptops to assist with at-home learning. We are looking for volunteers to help setup, maintain, update, and deploy student computers.

We are also looking for volunteer web developers to help maintain and optimize our WordPress-based website. Volunteers will regularly perform updates, debug, and work to increase the functionality and visibility of our content.

If you are interested helping support LSW's technology needs, please send an email including your phone number to Madison at Madison@literacyservices.org.