Are you interested in becoming a volunteer tutor?
Ready to get started? Please click the Sign Up button below and complete our volunteer registration form. A member of English In Action staff will be in touch with you soon to get you connected!
Sign UpRead on to learn more about our volunteer opportunities. Questions? Please CONTACT US!
We have a long waiting list of students who would like to have a tutor, and your help is needed.
Many people think that they need to speak Spanish in order to become a tutor, but that’s not true. Having tutors who speak Spanish is helpful for our beginning students, but we have more advanced students who really need to practice speaking with an English speaker. You also don’t need to have any prior teaching experience.
Here’s what you do need in order to become a tutor:
In the Individualized Tutoring program you will be matched with a student who can meet at a time and a place that works for you. Our tutoring pairs usually start at the libraries in Aspen or Basalt, our office in El Jebel or another public location. As the tutoring pairs get to know each other they will meet in other locations.
The initial commitment is for an hour a week for six months, though most pairs meet for longer. While some tutoring pairs focus on structured English lessons, other pairs will focus on conversation or doing activities together. Tutors are expected to be “mentors” and not formal teachers.
Our Small Group Tutoring program offers students the opportunity to learn practical English in a small group setting. Each class connects one volunteer tutor with groups of 3-9 students once a week for 90 minutes. Classes run for 12-week sessions in the fall, winter and spring, with a shortened 8-week session in the summer. The program offers a structured learning experience using a set curriculum and class materials, although individual tutor creativity is encouraged. Classes are currently taking place in-person and online via Zoom. Most groups meet at our office space in El Jebel in the evenings, however groups may take place at different times and locations, depending on enrollment and tutor availability.
If you don’t have time to volunteer weekly, Open Hours may be a good option for you. Open Hours is an informal drop-in class, which currently takes place via Zoom every Thursday from 6 to 7:30 p.m and in person every Monday from 6:30 to 8 pm at Carbondale Branch Library. As a volunteer tutor you can sign up for the Thursdays and/or Mondays that work best for you. We ask you to commit to at least eight sessions. While some tutors will come one or two times a month, others will come every week for a few months.
Open Hours tutors are matched with a small group of one to four individuals, depending on the number of students who come each evening. Sessions may focus on informal conversation, reading, or doing activities and games that are intended to encourage students to learn English. Often students come with questions about topics they want to learn about.
Open Hours is a lot fun and a great way to meet a variety of wonderful students who are eager to practice and learn English. We will provide you with a personalized orientation to this program.
If you are interested in volunteering for English In Action, but you don’t want to be a tutor, contact our office. You may be able to volunteer at an event or in our office.
