Our Mission Statement: Believing that literacy is the foundation for a sustainable community, Washtenaw Literacy provides literacy support, free of charge, to adults through a network of trained tutors.
Washtenaw Literacy's purpose is straightforward:
We help adults change their lives through literacy.
Our organization has over 40 years of experience in helping individuals improve their reading, writing, math, computers and English as a second language skills.
Our core program is Personal Tutoring. This is the approach our first volunteer tutors used in 1971. The reason we still use it today is because it works. Over 90% of adults in our Personal Tutoring program reach one or more of their goals. Part of this success stems from our "designer tutor" approach. We train each of our volunteer tutors to plan sessions according to the learner's strengths, needs, and goals. Adult learners in our program are motivated because they are setting, and meeting, their own standards for success.
During the pandemic, we expanded our programs to include virtual tutoring. Now, all learners and tutors have the option of Virtual and In-Person Tutoring programs.
The emphasis on learners' goals carries over to our other primary mode of program delivery, Community Tutoring. This program offers a quick-start, drop-in option where multiple tutors are working with multiple learners in the same place at the same time. Learners seek to improve skills on a flexible schedule. Learners have the freedom to sit with whatever tutor they wish and come when they can, leave when they must.
Our focus on individual goals makes our program unique in the county. Washtenaw Literacy is a critical part of our community's educational continuum. Someday we hope to have no need for our services. Until then, we'll support our volunteer tutors as they help low-literate men and women improve their skills and their lives.
