PRINCETON, NJ Restaurant Dining Guide Announcement

Literacy New Jersey, Mercer County Programs Announces Winter 2020 Tutor Training Course

Volunteer tutors needed to help adult learners increase basic literacy skills

There are an estimated 60,000 adults in Mercer County who struggle to read and understand written information. For these individuals, it can be a challenge to fill out a job application, read a utility bill, or follow a prescription label correctly. Moreover, there is a strong correlation between low literacy skills and the incidence of poverty, unemployment, and poor health.

Literacy New Jersey, Mercer County Programs is a non-profit organization, that is helping to improve these neighbors’ lives by providing free, confidential tutoring that is designed to increase basic reading, writing, listening, speaking and math skills. We need your help to do this!

All volunteer tutors are required to complete a comprehensive, 4 sessions training course to learn the fundamentals of speaking, reading and writing instruction. The training will take place at the LNJ Mercer County office at 1 North Johnston Ave. Hamilton, NJ 08609. The sessions are scheduled for Saturday, January 25th, February 1st, 8th, and 15th, from 10 am – 12:30 pm.

Upon completion of the training course, the volunteer tutor is matched with an adult learner who has registered with our program. Volunteers provide free tutoring services at a variety of public locations including public libraries, workplace sites, churches and retirement homes.

Longtime volunteer Michael Thiel describes his experience this way, “I began tutoring with LNJMCP almost 15 years ago. Over that time I have seen many measurable goals accomplished; a student's first letter to her mother, another learning enough English to get independence through a driver's license, and even more with enough fluency to accomplish their ultimate goal of becoming a citizen of this country.

What we often don't measure are the emotions and immeasurable assets associated with literacy. We don't quantify the new found independence or the improvement in quality of life at home. And while we tend to focus on the students' progress, there is something truly special in a program that keeps me and the other volunteers around for so long.”

To register for our upcoming tutor training course or for more information, please contact our office at 609-587-6027, or email us at mercer@literacynj.org