Opening The Door

You can open doors for undereducated adults by volunteering at the Johnson County Adult Education Program, a free educational program sponsored by Johnson County Community College and the Johnson County Library. No special academic degrees are required. If you can read and write, are willing to be trained and are interested in helping others, you qualify.

As a volunteer tutor with our program, you have the opportunity to teach reading, math, writing or GED test preparation. You'll be given orientation and training right here in Johnson County. Then, all it takes is about three hours a week to tutor someone.

When you volunteer, you are doing more than helping others. You are opening doors for yourself, too. Volunteering in an educational program is one of the most rewarding and gratifying experiences you'll ever have.

Locked Doors

For people who cannot read, life is full of locked doors. In this country, 27 million American adults are functionally illiterate. They lack basic reading, writing, and computation skills. That means they cannot read a street sign, a product label, a warning sign or a bedtime story to their children. They cannot fill out a simple form, complete a job application or write a letter to their family.

Many people face locked doors in their lives even in prosperous Johnson County. The 1990 U.S. Census indicates there are more than 24,000 people here who have less than a high school education. There are 5,000 adults in the county who have eight years or less of public schooling.

Most undereducated adults are intelligent, industrious people who are suffering needlessly. They are looking for a key that can open doors for them.

How To Volunteer

If you're interested in working as a literacy volunteer or as General Education Development (GED) or English as a Second Language tutor in the Johnson County Adult Education Program, please attend an orientation session. Handout material will be provided. There is no fee.

The next session is on August 11, 2-4 p.m. Visit the class search for details and call 913-469-2323 to register.