Frequently Asked Questions About FIRE
1. What are the volunteer opportunities available at FIRE?
2. What qualities should one have to be a volunteer at FIRE?
3. Do volunteers have to undergo training?
4. What kind of commitment is expected of volunteers?
5. How can volunteers contribute to further growth of FIRE?
6. What should I do if I hear of or have a problem with a learner or another volunteer?
7. What kinds of things do I write in the tutor logs?
1. What are the volunteer opportunities available at FIRE?
Volunteers can help with FIRE in three ways:
- Board Director – lead this 501(c)3 non-profit! FIRE is always looking for individuals with leadership experience and/or interest in advocating for immigrant education and resources. It's a great way to develop your leadership, personal, and organizational skills! Each term is two years in length.
- English Language Instructor – prepare your own lessons and teach English to immigrants and refugees through writing, reading, speaking, listening, and technology learning opportunities.
- GED Instructor – design and develop individual GED programming for native-born and advanced English learners so that they may acquire their General Education Diploma (GED).
- Math Instructor – teach all levels of math, from beginning to GED-level learners.
- Children’s Literacy Tutor – help teach literacy skills to children and youth, assist with homework, and encourage immigrant children to explore the joy in reading.
- Non-tutoring positions – assist instructors in classes, facilitate registration, intake, and assessment of new learners, and help with administrative tasks and specific initiatives.
2. What qualities should one have to be a volunteer at FIRE?
Volunteers should have an interest in assisting others, possess the knowledge and willingness to help learners develop their literacy skills, and have the compassion to help learners address various needs and challenges. Volunteers should also have the ability to interact with persons of different cultural, economic, and social backgrounds. Furthermore, volunteers should be willing to continually develop their instructional and/or programming skills.
3. Do volunteers have to undergo training?
FIRE is an associate program of the Minnesota Literacy Council and encourages new and potential volunteers to undergo their 12-hour pre-service training in Literacy or ESL. The MLC regularly conducts trainings and a schedule and description of trainings can be found at http://www.themlc.org/training.
Additionally, volunteers are required to attend at least one MLC's in-service training per year to strengthen their teaching skills. Because FIRE is 100% volunteer run, the volunteers are our staff and we believe that their professional development is critical to the success of our organization. FIRE will always provide notice to volunteers about upcoming trainings and opportunities.
4. What kind of commitment is expected of volunteers?
FIRE follows the St. Paul Public School calendar and asks tutors to commit to a three month session at a time. We appreciate a two-week notice of vacations and absences. We also ask for a minimum of a two-week notice if one is resigning or terminating his or her volunteer involvement. It takes time to replace a tutor and sudden exits not only jeopardize the quality of the learners' education but put the volunteer coordinator in a difficult position. Our learners are important to us and the more time we have to thoroughly and thoughtfully train a replacement volunteer, the better it is for all involved.
5. How can volunteers contribute to further growth of FIRE?
The beauty of a program like FIRE is that it succeeds because of volunteer involvement. We rely on our volunteers to continually provide us with ideas, feedback, project ideas, and contacts that could help us strengthen our organization. We welcome your increased involvement in areas that interest you and engage your skills and passions. Being a grassroots organization, this is the fuel for our success and survival. If you are interested in developing a new class or helping out in a broader capacity, please contact a lead coordinator or board member, or send an email to info@fireprograms.org.
6. What should I do if I hear of or have a problem with a learner or another volunteer?
Volunteers are encouraged to communicate any and all concerns about learners, volunteers, lesson plans, programs being offered, and FIRE’s organizational structure to the Board of Directors. Tutors and volunteers are encouraged to express their concerns and/or offer suggestions for improvement by talking directly with a board member or emailing the Board at info@fireprograms.org.
7. What kinds of things do I write in the tutor logs and on the FIRE blog?
Tutor logs and the FIRE blog are critical tools for tutor communication, documentation of learner progress, and suggestions for review. They are also where volunteer instructors note the activities they did in class, express their concerns about learners, and offer suggestions for the next tutor. When blog posts and tutor logs are completed thoroughly and accurately, they provide an important and invaluable guide for instructors in developing the following class's content. In addition, the tutor log and blog provide continuity between lessons for students and less confusion for other volunteers.