Our dedicated volunteer tutors come from a variety of backgrounds, professions, and experiences. At the beginning of the school year, tutors receive robust training in reading instruction using the UFLI Foundations program. Throughout the year, workshops on elements of reading instruction are conducted throughout the year. Program staff are available at all sessions to guide and support the tutors, and there is an extensive library of books and teaching resources.
Every year we carefully assess each student’s progress by administering pretests at the start of the tutoring year and post assessments in May. Year after year our test results show our students achieved solid progress often advancing by two or more grade levels—a major achievement for students who are often two or three grade levels behind.
While our focus is literacy, the program provides other critical benefits to the children we serve—having a caring adult be a consistent part of their lives each week and exposing them to new ideas and possibilities.
