About Us
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Literacy Volunteers was founded by Ruth Colvin in 1962 in Syracuse, N.Y., to combat illiteracy in her home community. Mrs. Colvin worked with professional reading consultants to develop a training workshop that would equip volunteers to tutor adults and teens in basic reading and writing. The movement soon spread to other New York State communities as the effectiveness of the program became widely recognized. In 1967, Literacy Volunteers was chartered in New York State as a tax-exempt nonprofit corporation with a volunteer board of directors.
In 1972, Literacy Volunteers Inc. changed its name to Literacy Volunteers of America Inc. to emphasize its growing aspirations “to focus increased literacy in the United States” with a total number of LVA affiliates reaching 40. In 1974, the English as a Second Language tutor-training program was developed in response to requests from affiliates.
Literacy Volunteers of Monmouth County (LVMC) joined 125 affiliates of Literacy Volunteers of America in 1983 as Literacy Volunteers of America – Monmouth County. We have been serving adult students who need English literacy skills since that time.
In 1998, Literacy Volunteers of America and Laubach Literacy International, the two major volunteer literacy programs in the United States that addressed the literacy needs of adult students, merged to become ProLiteracy America. LVMC was asked to drop the name, of America, and we simply became Literacy Volunteers of Monmouth County. Today, ProLiteracy America is the largest volunteer-based adult literacy organization in the United States. It supports more than 1,200 local literacy programs throughout all 50 states and Washington, D.C.
LVMC is a nonprofit, 501c3 charitable organization registered with the State of New Jersey. With the exception of two part-time employees, LVMC is a volunteer-based organization. Our organization is funded by grants, donations and our annual fundraising dinner.
In the fall of 2003, Literacy Volunteers of Monmouth County successfully applied for and was granted “accredited status” with ProLiteracy America. In the summer of 2006, we applied for re-accreditation and once again met the criteria to be listed as meeting all the requirements of a quality, volunteer-based literacy program. We will again apply for reaccreditation in 2010. We proudly list our organization as an accredited affiliate of ProLiteracy America. In addition, we are an affiliate-in-good-standing with our state literacy organization, Literacy Volunteers of New Jersey. It likewise has a list of organizational requirements needed to meet its standards and it provides the training manual and certification for our tutor-trainers. LVNJ serves as the coordinating agency for 19 affiliate organizations through New Jersey and it is responsible for the accredited training of our tutor-trainers. In addition, LVNJ provides all of our students, tutors and other volunteers with an annual conference where they can meet other tutors, students and volunteers who support our mission of a literate society.
Literacy Volunteers of Monmouth County provides an 18- hour combined tutor-training for volunteers, 18 years and older who have completed high school and who wish to address the literacy needs of adults in Monmouth County. LVMC offers a combined tutor training in Basic Literacy and ESL (English as a Second Language) literacy skills. We strive to meet the literacy needs of adults born in English speaking countries (basic literacy) and the needs of adult immigrants for whom English is not their native language (ESL). Our volunteer tutors do not need to know another language in order to help our ESL adult students.
Once trained and certified, our volunteer tutors are assigned to adult students of their choice (either basic literacy or ESL). We have many venues for tutoring: one-to-one, small group and classroom participation. We ask our trained volunteers to commit to tutoring an adult students for at least 1 ½ hours per week for one year. Tutoring takes place in public areas such as libraries, churches, schools and even coffee shops in locations convenient to the tutor and adult student.
Our tutors are offered on-going professional in-service/workshops aimed at supplementing their tutoring skills. In addition, our tutors are invited to attend the annual Literacy for Life conference offered to all trained tutors by Literacy Volunteers of New Jersey as well as the annual ProLiteracy Conference.
There is no charge for adults needing literacy skills. Our tutors are volunteers and may not solicit money, goods or services from our students, nor may they represent themselves as trained, for-hire tutors.
LVMC also offers opportunities to volunteer that are not connected with tutoring. Some of these include public relations, office work, library work, our newsletter, fundraising and special events.