Programs — Overview
LVA trains volunteers to provide free, one-on-one tutoring to low-literate metro Atlanta adults reading below the fifth-grade level. We also offer a number of classes to support our tutoring program.
LVA’s Basic Literacy and ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) programs are confidential. Tutoring is student-centered and often based on real-life materials. For example, if a student’s goal is to obtain a driver’s license, the driving test manual becomes one of the learning sources for the weekly lessons.
Students and tutors meet at times and places convenient to both, which might be at the local library in the morning or at LVA’s computer lab anytime during the day or evening. Students and tutors do not meet in each other’s homes.
Classroom instruction that reinforces individual tutoring (and helps students while they’re waiting to be matched with a tutor) includes basic and intermediate literacy, ESOL, spelling, math, basic computer skills and health literacy.
In particular, health literacy instruction equips students with the health information that helps them make sound, healthy choices for themselves and their families. Students are presented with literature that offers with a common sense approach to good health through prevention and maintenance. This recent joint effort between LVA and the graduate students at Mercer University School of Public Health is intertwined with the Family Literacy program and promotes the vision of the organization to meet the unique and individual needs of our students and their families in a comprehensive way.
Our Family Literacy program provides parents and children with the tools they need to succeed by partnering with institutions which focus on early childhood care or education. Our program affords parents resources for practical health literacy to share with their families.
Our Workplace Literacy program is held at various worksites around metro Atlanta. This is our only fee-for-service program and takes place at the request of companies and institutions who would like to help their employees work more efficiently and meet both professional and personal goals. There is no charge to the students.
Basic Literacy Program
The Basic Literacy program is LVA’s oldest and largest program. Each year, we train Basic Literacy tutors who provide free, one-on-one, ongoing tutoring to adults with low literacy skills. Volunteers receive Basic Literacy training and are paired with a student who closely matches their interests, strengths, and geographical location.
The tutor and student then select a location outside of their homes that is convenient to both. Each pair must commit to a minimum tutoring schedule of two hours per week. Student and tutor pairs are encouraged to use LVA’s computer lab and lending library to enhance their tutoring sessions.
Volunteers can also receive comprehensive training to become classroom instructors; all LVA classes support our one-on-one tutoring process.
If you’re interested in becoming a Basic Literacy Tutor, please complete our tutor application form (.doc) and fax or mail it to our office.
LVA’s ESOL program includes one-on-one tutoring and/or classes to maximize students’ success. Adults who are in need of English skills are matched with a tutor who will assist them in learning English while focusing on special-needs areas.
Similar to LVA’s Basic Literacy programs, the course work for ESOL is student-centered. For example, a group of neighbors who want to prepare for the Test of English as a Second Language (TOEFL), might focus on course work in preparation for the exam as part of their session. Adults who are comfortable in a group environment are encouraged to participate in classes throughout the DeKalb County library system.
If you’re interested in becoming an ESOL tutor or class leader, please complete our tutor application form (.doc) and fax or mail it to our office.
Preschool children who are not read to on a regular basis before starting school don’t develop the pre-reading skills necessary to succeed in school. Further, children of low-literacy parents are twice as likely to become low-literacy adults.
In LVA’s Family Literacy program, volunteers lead weekly small group sessions to teach parents with low reading skills or limited English-speaking skills strategies that provide the next generation with the tools and experiences necessary to begin school successfully.
Children’s books are given to children and parents to build a home library and to share as a family. Computer programs are available for parents and children to use together. Many adults who would not normally join a literacy program take advantage of these services for their children’s sakes and, as a result, join our Basic or ESOL literacy programs to address their own literacy needs.
In LVA’s Family Literacy program, volunteers provide young children with literacy activities to enhance reading comprehension, math, and science skills, as well as provide Basic Literacy and ESOL services to parents through classes and family mentors. LVA’s goal is to help parents incorporate literacy activities into everyday life to allow their children to succeed.
Literacy Volunteers of Atlanta affords families the skills to become more active in their children’s education and community, and to shape the success of future generations.
“Literacy Volunteers of Atlanta is a valuable partner of Decatur Housing Authority as they offer English classes to our parents and literacy activities to our children. Not only are LVA’s volunteers affording our parents the chance to succeed, they are teaching our children in fun and creative ways in our Summer Reading and After-School programs. This has been a great collaboration and our families definitely appreciate the work of the volunteers.”
— Melvin L. Whitlock, Resident Services Supervisor, Decatur Housing Authority
Are you interested in working with children or becoming a Family Literacy mentor?
Do you know of parents and/or children in need of Family Literacy services?
Contact Mary Glass by email at volunteerslva at gmail.com or by phone at 404-377-READ (7323).
The Workplace Literacy program is a partnership with businesses and institutions in metro Atlanta that provides their employees with Basic Literacy and English Speakers of Other Languages classroom instruction geared toward the workplace.
The students gain skills to assist them in becoming more confident and more successful employees with increased knowledge about workplace safety and capacity for job advancement. Literacy Volunteers currently has three partnerships which we serve on-site. We are in the process of developing other workplace opportunities throughout the Atlanta area.
LVA’s Workplace Literacy Program can:
- Reduce error rate
- Reduce time-per-task
- Aid in customer retention
- Increase business profitability
- Improve the health and safety records of employees
- Increase employee retention
- Raise team performance
- Increase quality of work
- Improve employee morale and self-esteem
“LVA’s Workplace Literacy class has been a huge help to our company. Our participating employees love the classes and it motivates them to be successful not only at work but in their personal lives as well. The program is a great incentive for new employees and it helps retain our current employees as well. We are a strong believer in promoting within the company and with the literacy program in place we are able to give more employees that opportunity.”
— Regina Kim, Vice President A&D Linens
“These programs don't just benefit our employees. They pay back Georgia Tech by helping us with recruitment and retention.”
— Deborah Covin Wilson, Georgia Institute of Technology
“Georgia State University is one of the country’s leading urban research universities located in the heart of downtown Atlanta. The student body and workforce is the largest and most diverse in history, with more than 40,000 students and 3,000 faculty and staff respectively. Our mission is to further the ongoing institutional goal to ‘help develop a workforce that is effective and able to meet the changing needs of an evolving university.’ As we strive to expand our training and development programs designed to enhance individual employee skills and competencies, we are very pleased to renew our partnership with Literacy Volunteers of Atlanta coordinating Workplace ESOL classes conveniently on campus.”
— Cheryl Johnson Ransaw, Director, Employee Development and Wellness Services, Human Resources Department, Georgia State University
For further information about volunteering with Workplace Literacy, or if you are interested in having LVA come to your workplace, please contact Morgan Koukopoulos by email at workplace at lvama.org or by phone at 404-377-READ (7323).