Midcoast Literacy, a nonprofit that provides free literacy tutoring to people of all ages, is holding two training sessions for new volunteer tutors this fall: one for volunteers who want to work with kids and one for volunteer English language tutors for adults. Midcoast Literacy serves individuals in Sagadahoc, Lincoln and northern Cumberland counties, and is seeking volunteers who come from any of these communities. Demand for one-on-one tutoring is very high, especially for children who are struggling to read at grade level, so the need for new volunteers to come forward this fall is significant.

“The beginning of the school year is a great time to begin volunteering for Midcoast Literacy,” Program Director Katie Clark said in a prepared release. “There are lots of families coming to us in need of support for both adults and children. If you or someone you know can give two hours a week to help a neighbor read better, you can truly make a difference in your community.”

Midcoast Literacy’s two three-day tutor trainings will be held at its offices at 9 Park St. in Bath. The first training, for those who want to work with school-age children, is from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sept. 23, 25 and 27. For more information or to sign up, contact Clark at k.clark@midcoastliteracy.org.

The second training, for people who want to work with adult immigrants who are learning to speak English, is from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Oct. 8-10. For more information or to sign up, contact Diana Krauss at als@midcoastlit.org.

Pre-registration and participation in all three days of the training is required for both programs. Volunteer tutors must be at least 18 years old and make an initial commitment to tutor once or twice a week for 12 months (with occasional breaks for vacations or holidays). After the first year, many volunteers continue working with their students to help them get closer to their reading goals.

“Being a tutor for English language learners has led me to broad cultural enrichment as well as lasting friendships with people from around the world,” said volunteer tutor Alden Sproul. “You could not pay for this experience nor expect the depth of relationships that result from it.”