Literacy Volunteers of Illinois

Literacy Volunteers of Illinois (LVI) is a statewide organization committed to developing and supporting volunteer literacy programs that help families, adults and out-of-school teens increase their literacy skills. LVI works with local community organizations to strengthen their programming by providing them with conferences & training sessions, tutor & student recruitment & referral, public information & advocacy and AmeriCorps members to serve as literacy specialists. LVI sponsors for incarcerated youth a Jump Start program which matches youth in care of the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice (IDJJ) with volunteer tutors.

The goal of the VOCAL - Volunteer Outreach for Community Action in Literacy –program is to expand literacy services in local communities by recruiting, placing and training individuals to serve as literacy specialists and program associates in community and faith-based literacy programs serving economically disadvantaged adults. As a literacy specialist or program associate, members tutor, recruit tutors, and/or serve as job coaches or employment specialists. Members are also involved with a variety of community outreach, program planning, policy development and social and volunteer engagement activities within those programs. The VOCAL program also works within the Illinois Youth Centers of the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice, where members serve as tutors and mentors to incarcerated youth as well as tutor recruiters and tutor trainers in the Jump Start programs within the Centers. Foll-time, part-time and minimum-time placements are available. The VOCAL program also has a program within its program specific to the Kewanee community in central Illinois, with part-time members serving in various after-school programs and social service agencies.