VITAL - Volunteers in Tutoring Adult Learners

Think Library: VITAL

National Volunteer Week: Remote Learning

Patsy working with learner Jianhong

During National Volunteer Week, the Library celebrates its VITAL volunteers for their incredible efforts in support of adult literacy!

Volunteers in Tutoring Adult Learners (VITAL) provides learning opportunities for adults who want to improve their reading, writing, and English language skills. These learning relationships thrive on connectivity––whether in the Library, a coffee shop, or an adult education classroom, tutors and learners rely on weekly meetings to learn and practice new skills. When the COVID-19 pandemic changed traditional options, VITAL volunteer tutors kicked their creative teaching skills into high gear. Here's what they've been doing with their learners.

Posted by Paula G.O. on April 24, 2020
Connect
Learn
Read
VITAL - Volunteers in Tutoring Adult Learners

2019 Be More Award Recipients are VITAL

Be More Awards 2019

The ​​City of Bloomington Volunteer Network Be More Awards is the local community's way of honoring and applauding the outstanding, but often unrecognized efforts of its volunteers. Ten awards are presented annually during a celebration honoring nominees in which a $500 check is presented to each of the recipient's volunteer organizations in honor of their outstanding service.

Congratulations to Volunteers in Tutoring Adult Learners (VITAL) tutor Molly Gleeson for winning the 2019 Be More Knowledgeable (Education/Literacy) award, and to VITAL tutor David White for winning the 2019 Be More Dedicated (Lifetime of Service) award.

Posted by Jackie L. on March 27, 2019
Connect
VITAL - Volunteers in Tutoring Adult Learners

VITAL Conversations

Dennis Davoren and learner Adam Garmon

For the first of an ongoing series of conversations with our volunteers and learners, we asked VITAL volunteer LuAnne to chat with tutor Dennis Davoren and learner Adam Garmon about what makes their partnership successful. 

Adam has worked in construction and other hands-on trades, although these days he is on medical leave awaiting open-heart surgery. "I can make just about anything," he says. "I could build you a house." Dennis is retired, and while he has spent only a year as a VITAL tutor in literacy, prior to moving to Bloomington from Louisiana, he was a math tutor for more than a decade. Adam and Dennis have been meeting for weekly sessions since July 2018.

Posted by Jackie L. on December 14, 2018
Connect
VITAL - Volunteers in Tutoring Adult Learners

VITAL: Winner of the 2018 Tom Zupancic Literacy in Libraries Award 

Tom Zupancic Literacy in Libraries Award

The ILF Tom Zupancic Literacy in Libraries Award recognizes community advocacy for literacy by an individual or organization in cooperation with a library. VITAL received this accolade for promoting the importance of literacy and adult education at the library. Since VITAL’s inception in 1977, our program has helped over 6,500 learners achieve their personal learning goals.

Posted by Jackie L. on October 30, 2018
Connect
Read
VITAL - Volunteers in Tutoring Adult Learners

Best Way to Learn a New Language Quickly

white board with words for a language lessonThe most effective way to speak a new language quickly is to learn the 800 to 1,000 most common lemmas (word families). A lemma is a root word and all its variations, for example: do, does, did, doing; blue, bluer, bluest, blueish, etc. If you know the 800 most frequently-used lemmas in English, you'll understand 75% of everyday spoken English.      From How Many Words Do You Need to Speak a Language?

Posted by Jackie L. on July 12, 2018
VITAL - Volunteers in Tutoring Adult Learners

Pages