School and Tutors on Wheels spread hope and literacy in Darien area

Deeper voices are now heard reading and spelling in the classrooms of Lace Elementary School in Darien since Tutors on Wheels, a free adult literacy program sponsored by the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph, began bringing in dozens of English literacy volunteers on Monday evenings to tutor adult learners --most of them parents of school-aged children.  Tutors on Wheels, a program of School and Tutors on Wheels, provides one-on-one adult tutoring at schools, libraries, and churches in Du Page County.  School on Wheels also has sites in Du Page County and serves parts of western Cook County.

“It’s wonderful that School and Tutors on Wheels is giving this opportunity so close to home to the parents of our school children who want to improve their English skills,” says Irma Maciel, a former School and Tutors on Wheels student who now works as a teaching assistant at Eisenhower Jr. High School and is completing a master’s degree in education.

When Tutors on Wheels put out an appeal this year for volunteers to help tutor adults in the area who wanted to learn or improve their ability to speak, read and write the English language, the quick response from the community came as a welcome surprise.  More than 30 nervous adult learners met the equally nervous and enthusiastic volunteers who would become their one-on-one English literacy tutors. Local groups, including the Darien Woman’s Club and the Parent Teacher Associations of Lace School and Eisenhower Jr. High School, responded to the call by inviting their members to hear a presentation by School and Tutors on Wheels. Churches in the area published the notice in their parish bulletins. And in a short time more than 40 volunteers had signed up to help their neighbors.

Local residents who answered the call for volunteers included retired teachers, managers, construction workers, psychologists, empty nesters, and parents.  They meet every Monday between 5:00pm to 8:00pm for weekly one hour tutoring sessions with their adult students. An adult learner may be a beginner learning basic vocabulary or an intermediate-level student trying to improve his or her pronunciation and writing skills. Most of the students are residents of Darien and Westmont and range between 25 to 62 years of age. Most are native Spanish-speakers and Polish-language speakers.

“Having an English literacy tutor help you with your individual learning needs opens up new possibilities for each student and for their families and shows them that our community embraces them, and that we’re building our future together,” says Maciel. “A School and Tutors on Wheels tutor helped me when I needed help 10 years ago and made a big difference in my life. I’m excited to see where these students will be 10 years from now.”  The next tutor training in the Darien will be held on Saturday, September 14th, at the Indian Prairie Library. To register or for more information, call (708) 482-5085 (Darien site), or visit www.schoolandtutorsonwheels.org.