Become a volunteer tutor

Jump to the top of this page and select your region from the dropdown button, then click “Volunteer” on the next page to complete the online sign up process.

Our volunteer tutors have varied experience, ranging from high school students to working professionals to retirees. The only requirements are:

• Volunteers must be at least 14 years old (some opportunities may only be available for volunteers 18 years or older).
• Volunteers must pass a background check and any other regional clearance requirements.
• Volunteers must commit to at least one tutoring session at the same time each week.
• Volunteers must reside within a commutable distance to a Reading Partners region in order to tutor in-person. Most online volunteer opportunities require tutors to reside within the state where Reading Partners operates. However, some opportunities may be available for individuals residing in other locations within the US. If you are unsure, feel free to sign up and a member of our team will confirm what opportunities are available.

Orientation – All volunteers must complete a required tutor orientation to learn more about Reading Partners’ mission, model, and tutoring strategies. Each orientation usually lasts one to two hours and will prepare you to deliver the Reading Partners curriculum prior to your first tutoring session.

Ongoing training – AmeriCorps program coordinators will offer ongoing coaching and support in both in-person and online tutoring opportunities. Never hesitate to ask questions!

Reading Partners also provides optional training events on a variety of literacy related subjects and tutoring strategies. Volunteer reading partners can also access training videos and resources available on our online Resource Hub.

Reading Partners Connects volunteers must meet the following technology requirements in order to tutor a student online.

• Access to reliable wifi
• Ability to connect to a password protected wifi, preferably a private home or school network
• Login via a PC, Mac, or Chromebook computer with a functioning webcam and microphone (no public devices!)
• Must be in the United States when holding a virtual tutoring session
• Optional: headphones with a microphone

Reading Partners closely monitors student progress while they are enrolled in the program to ensure each student is meeting their individual literacy goals.  We have seen that whether a student is receiving tutoring in person using our traditional curriculum or online using the Reading Partners Connects platform and curriculum, the results are aligned.  When students are receiving one-on-one individualized instruction for 90 minutes a week, the results are very different from data for virtual, group, asynchronous learning that the country experienced.

We ask that volunteers commit to at least one session per week. The total time commitment per session is a little over an hour per week including prep time before each session, the 45 minute session, and wrap-up time after the session. In addition to scheduled tutoring, all new volunteers must complete required training before being matched with a student. 

Yes. All volunteer reading partners are required to complete a Reading Partners-specific background check, which is determined at the regional level with our school and district partners. If a fee is involved in completing a background check, we are happy to reimburse you.

Yes! However, we do require that you be fluent in English in order to deliver our curriculum to students in English.