Use of Volunteers in Adult Education Programs

Tammy R. Blumling, Literacy Coordinator

ARIN Center for Education has been consistently serving the needs of adults within Armstrong and Indiana Counties for 33 years. The Adult Literacy Program is one of several services provided by ARIN Center for Education. The program receives guidance, funding, and oversight through Division of Adult Education Bureau of Postsecondary and Adult Education, Pennsylvania Department of Education.

The goal of ARIN's Adult Literacy program is to professionally educate individual volunteers to teach and support adult students in our two counties. In the area of Literacy, GED instruction and workforce are the major areas of focus. The literacy program provides supported services of tutoring to both the GED and non-GED student. Small groups or individual tutoring is offered depending on the individual needs of the learner. Volunteer tutors from both the communities and Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) participate in a three hour "Tutor Orientation." As part of on-going training, tutors participate in a variety of Professional Development activities.

Collaborations with other agencies are a major support of the Literacy grant. ARIN Center for Education has collaborated with Indiana University, Department of Adult & Community Education master program for 21 years. The master level students from this program volunteer as a tutor for a minimum of 40 hours a semester as part of their college class coarse work. The Literacy Program also partners locally with Indiana County Head Start, Indiana County Jail, Indiana County Workshop, Kiski Valley Assembly of God Leechburg, Torrance State Hospital, and Tri-County Workforce Investment Board to provide comprehensive tutoring services to adult students.