Midcoast Literacy needs more tutors for children. Contributed photo

Midcoast Literacy, a non-profit that provides free literacy tutoring to people of all ages, is looking for volunteer tutors to work with school-age children, especially in the Brunswick/Bath area. Tutors are needed for children ages 6-14 who are struggling to read at grade level and for children from asylum seeking families who are learning to speak, read, and write in English.

The next 3-Day Tutor Training is Oct. 19, 21, and 23, in Bath.

“The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting changes to school schedules and family responsibilities have only made the need for tutors more acute,” says Katie Clark, Midcoast Literacy’s Read Together program director. “More children are falling behind on reading, while some tutors no longer feel safe working with kids for health reasons. We have children waiting to be matched with tutors.”

Since March, sessions have been taking place remotely via Zoom and other platforms, and in-person via sessions held outside. As the weather changes, some tutoring pairs are moving their sessions to inside locations that allow for appropriate distancing and protection measures. Individuals meeting in-person can be provided with face shields and/or masks and are asked to maintain adequate physical distance as they work. Midcoast Literacy has some tutoring stations available in the lending library room at their new office at 9 Park Street in Bath.

Tutors for Read Together must be at least 18 years old; participate in the training for volunteer tutors; and be able to make a minimum one-year commitment. Under the current health conditions, tutors must also be willing and able to tutor using PPE during in-person sessions and/or use a virtual platform for remote sessions.

Tutor training for new volunteers will be held Oct. 19, 21, and 23, from noon to 4 p.m. each day at Grace Church Community Hall in Bath. The training will be limited to a maximum of eight participants to allow for proper safety measures.

Midcoast Literacy is a non-profit organization based in Bath that has been providing free literacy programs to people of all ages in Lincoln, Sagadahoc, and northern Cumberland counties for nearly 50 years.

To find out more or sign-up for tutor training, contact Midcoast Literacy at k.clark@midcoastliteracy.org. Visit www.midcoastliteracy.org for more details on tutoring with Midcoast Literacy.