WJCC Seeks Volunteer Literacy Tutors

By Amber Lester Kennedy Thursday, September 08, 2011

Community members will now have a chance to help young students learn to read through a new partnership between Williamsburg-James City County Schools and Literacy for Life.

The College of William and Mary’s Literacy for Life program will work with WJCC schools to train community members who will help struggling readers in kindergarten through the third grade at Clara Byrd Baker Elementary School. Free training sessions will be offered from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Sept. 13-16 and Sept. 19 at the William and Mary School of Education building at 301 Monticello Ave., Suite 1076.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for anyone in our community, especially retirees, who would like to make a truly meaningful contribution to our children in need of some special assistance with reading skills,” said Kimberly Nunnally, WJCC’s coordinator for reading and language arts.

The volunteer tutors will be trained by reading specialists from the Literacy for Life program and the Training and Technical Assistance Center at the School of Education, led by Program Manager Mary Lynch. After finishing the one-day training session, volunteers will be matched with struggling readers at Clara Byrd Baker Elementary. Volunteers must commit to tutoring at least once a week.

Potential volunteers can sign up for a training session by calling Literacy for Life at 221-3325. Background checks are required.