Carnegie Center for Literacy & Learning – Do Yourself a Favor: Volunteer to Be a Tutor

If you’ve ever thought of volunteering to tutor a school-aged child, first of all, good for you.
As the old adage goes, “A man never stands so tall as when he stoops to help a child.” And that goes for all genders.
But if you’re worried that you lack the skills to teach, the Carnegie Center for Literacy & Learning has a message for you, “Don’t be.”
“What we do is absolutely academic tutoring but it’s also mentoring,” Tutoring Director Carol Jordan said. “One hour of uninterrupted time with an adult is quite a gift for a child.
“You can be another adult interested in that child, cheerleading for that child. That relationship can make a big difference in that child’s life.”
The Carnegie Center has run a tutoring program since it opened in 1992 and will accept 200 students this year. Jordan, who has led the program for eight years, needs to replace 100 tutors from last year.

Each student is paired with the same tutor for the school year, and they meet for one hour a week. Students are selected through a lottery system, and the program is virtually free. The nominal registration fee drops to $5 for students on free or reduced lunch.
Tutors are given an orientation session and are matched with an appropriate student. If you don’t love math, you won’t wind up with a high school student needing calculus help.
It can be challenging to find new tutors, Jordan said, but the community rises to the task every year.
Tutors, who must be 16 years old and pass a background check, come from all age groups and all parts of the city. College students and retirees are good candidates.
Students and parents love the program, of course, and so do tutors, who receive a free Carnegie class for each year they tutor. Many return year after year and tell Jordan that they get more out of the program than their students.
The program also serves another function – it strengths the fiber of the community.
“This program provides a vehicle for intersection in our community,” Jordan said. “Tutors and students who wouldn’t otherwise meet become friends and bond with each other.
“That’s why I love this program. It’s great because we have so many great volunteers.”

To volunteer, call the Carnegie Center at (859) 254-4175 or visit http://carnegiecenterlex.org/tutoring/becoming-a-tutor/