Literacy Council at MSCC Sets Tutor Training for April 20

The Literacy Council of Crittenden County at Mid-South Community College will conduct a free Tutor Training Workshop on Saturday, April 20, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., at First Christian Church (1015 Balfour St., West Memphis). Light snacks will be provided for participants interested in volunteering their time and talents to help adults who are not functionally literate.

Prospective tutors must have a high school diploma (or equivalent) and must be 18 years of age or older. Good reading skills are also important. Previous teaching experience, while helpful, is not necessary.

The Literacy Council’s mission is to facilitate the teaching of the functionally illiterate of Crittenden County. The Council’s goal is to teach the students things they want to learn. Some want to read the people; others want to learn to read the driver’s education manual. Being functionally illiterate would mean that everyday tasks, such as filling out a job application, paying bills, and reading the directions on a medicine bottle, would be difficult, if not impossible.

As many as one in three Crittenden County residents is considered functionally illiterate. About 25 percent of Arkansas adults read at or below a fifth-grade level (far below the level needed to earn a living wage), and an estimated 20 percent of adults nationwide operate at the lowest level of literacy. The effects are devastating on not only the economy, but the way of life in Crittenden County.

The Literacy Council meets with students and tutors to determine the best possible matches to facilitate the teaching/learning process. Tutors meet with their students every week for a minimum of two hours, usually on a one-to-one basis.

The only requirement of being a tutor is a passion for helping others. It is not too late to join the tutoring workshop on Saturday, April 20. For more information on becoming involved with the Literacy Council of Crittenden County, visit the office in the Arkansas Workforce Center on MSCC’s North Campus, 2000 West Broadway in West Memphis, call Jacki Murase, the Literacy Coordinator, at (870) 733-6834, or email her at jlmurase@midsouthcc.edu.