New year, new opportunity to help your community

During this season of reflection and looking ahead to the new year, there are many who make resolutions with the intent of implementing self-improvement and lifestyle changes. For those who are looking to find ways to give back to the Northwest suburban community in 2017, there is the 32-year-old organization Read to Learn (RTL) that relies heavily on volunteer tutors.

Haven't heard of Read to Learn? Unfortunately, "Read to Learn is one of the best kept secrets in the Northwest suburbs... and we need to change that," states RTL Program Coordinator Jo Ann Fletcher.

Last year, the District 214 Community Education's Read to Learn Adult Literacy (RTL) volunteer-based program provided individual tutoring to approximately 500 English language learners reading below the ninth grade level at 11 locations in the Northwest suburbs. To help English language learners residing within the Northwest suburbs, RTL program provides individual tutoring for reading and writing during a 10-week period twice a year; once in the Spring and then again in the Fall.

Currently, the RTL program is looking for volunteers for the Spring 2017 semester.

"We have more students than volunteers at some sites, and unfortunately, we have to waitlist these students," Jo Ann Fletcher, RTL's program coordinator, states.

Lesson plans and materials will be provided to volunteer tutors during each 2½ hour session that meets once a week for 10 weeks. Classes are available in the morning, afternoon or evening.

Interested volunteers must complete an online application which may be accessed at http://ce.d214.org/readtolearn before attending the volunteer training.The one-day training is scheduled from 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 27. (New volunteers only need to to attend.

For information or questions, call District 214 Community Education at (847) 718-7724 or visit the "Volunteer" page at ce.d214.org/readtolearn.