CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Literacy Volunteers Fox Valley helps adults learn to read, write, speak, and understand English more effectively by matching them with volunteer tutors who work with them one to one.
Peg Coker is the Executive Director of Literacy Volunteers Fox Valley and has been for decades. She said what they provide is more than just an English lesson.
"We are helping people adapt to the community so they can be better workers or effective parents and more involved community members," Coker said.
She said they work with anyone who needs help practicing their English.
Coker said there are people who have no education or knowledge of English, while there are others who have advanced education and just aren't sure how to navigate the community.
The volunteers receive 15 hours of tutor training before they are matched with a student. They work with students for one hour a week on a lesson plan that is broken up in to four parts: word study, writing, reading and talking.
Coker said last fiscal year they served over 260 people in St. Charles, Geneva, Batavia and Elburn with the help of 225 volunteers. On average a student will be in the program for about two years, as well as the volunteers.
"You begin to peel away the layers of people once they polish their English and its amazing the people that you meet, the talent that they have and that they offer to the community," Coker said. "Just because a person is different doesn't mean they don't have talent and intelligence and that they have something to offer your community. Literacy Volunteers Fox Valley opens up worlds for both students and tutors." F
or more information on the program to go www.lvfv.org.
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