Tutor Volunteering
Not at all. We actually prefer that you don't, so we can teach you how to communicate with your students without relying on their first language. If you use your students’ first language, they will not learn as quickly because in the back of their minds they know you'll be able to "bail them out" with the correct answer.
We offer training to our tutors. You need no other teaching experience or education. All you need is a willingness to teach. We will provide the tools. We have tutors from all backgrounds.
Yes. Proliteracy has some excellent courses you can take online. Feel free to check out their lesson plans and resources as well.
CCLC is an Adult Literacy program. Our students are age 17 and older who are not enrolled in a public school. We will train you how to teach adults who learn very differently from children.
Students and Tutors are encouraged to meet at a neutral setting with a regular appointment, which promotes safety for both the student and the tutor as well as improves learning conditions for the student. There are many churches and libraries in our area where you can safely meet your student. We will try to match you to a student who is located near your area so meeting is easy and convenient.
If you have difficulty with your student, the staff of the C.C. Literacy Council will provide suggestions to improve your relationship. Otherwise, we can certainly assign the student to a different tutor and you to a different student.
Every student works at a different pace. We ask that you consider at least one year's commitment to the program, but we realize that conditions may arise that require you to drop out. Call any time, and we will work out alternatives for your student.
Nothing. The training, books, and materials required for the course are free to you. However, the Council is a non-profit organization. We are always on the lookout for grants, donations, and other funding.
Citizenship and GED
We do not provide GED training here at the Corpus Christi Literacy Council; however, we are partnered with Education Service Center, Region 2 who has a GED program.
We will gladly help our students get to the proper English reading level in order to fill out the state's citizenship test paperwork. For help filling out the paperwork itself students may visit the Catholic Charities.
Students
The CCLC offers classes to all people ages 17 and up.
With one-on-one tutoring, sessions are about 1 hour long. The student and tutor, together, decide time and length of tutorial. Classes are generally 1 hour to 3 hours long per week. Some classes meet during the day, other classes during the evening.
This differs for every student. The type and length of classes depend on the evaluation of the student upon entry into the Corpus Christi Literacy Council. Please contact us to inquire about an evaluation.
A student can successfully learn English starting with no English knowledge. Adults unable to speak English will be taught "survival English" in order to communicate. Volunteers will also teach you basic reading and writing.
We offer Adult basic Education to teach reading and ESL for speakers of other languages. Our classes can be taught in a group setting or one-on-one.
Upon entry, a pre-test will be administered to determine placement, and after 60 hours of classroom instruction, a post-test will be administered to determine your progress.
The CCLC provides classes absolutely free of charge to you, but we do appreciate donations.
Events
Some of the past events include a Scrabble Tournament, and an annual Bowling Tournament.
Visit our Events page to learn more.
Fundraiser events happen about two or three times a year.
The requirements to join vary with each event. Each event's requirements and cost will be posted on the events page.
Since we are a non-profit organization, these events are designed to increase funds for the CCLC to continue.