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GETTING STARTED
Ready to start volunteering? Fantastic! Here's what to do.
1. Sign up and tell us a little about your schedule, your talents, and what you're interested in.
2. Sign up for our email list to make sure you get contacted about new volunteer opportunities.
3. Read this page and decide which programs are the best fit for you, then come meet us on the orientation date that works best for you and get ready for a fun, meaningful new experience in volunteering!
NEED VOLUNTEERS?
Are you a Chicago-based literacy program looking for enthusiastic and energetic volunteers? We'd love to hear from you about how we can work together.
OTHER PROGRAMS
Thanks to incredible and enthusiastic volunteers like you, several of our programs are full!
click here for details...
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The Neighborhood Writing Alliance creates opportunities for adults in Chicago's low-income neighborhoods to write, publish, and perform works about their lives. We join them as volunteers to work in writing groups.
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Literacy Chicago is the city's oldest and largest adult literacy organization. Currently our volunteers have filled the available slots for ABE and ESL tutors, but if you know an adult who needs help learning to read or learning English, please contact us!
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Through book group discussions and poetry writing, Literature For All Of Us brings the rewards of literature to teen mothers and other young people in underserved neighborhoods. We work with them as book group volunteers and program sponsors.
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Are you a fellow bookworm who brakes for book sales, thinks rainy day = reading, carries a threadbare library card, and wants to get involved with increasing literacy across the city? We need your help and appreciate all that you can contribute!
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VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES WITH
OPEN BOOKS |
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Are you a volunteer in Open Books Buddies or Adventures In Creative Writing field trips? Check out our Resources page for tips on working with kids and books. |
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Open Books Reading Buddies
weekly / around the city
Got an hour at lunch or before work? Join us as a reading Buddy at a local elementary school! We pair up with kids to work on fluency, comprehension, vocabulary, expression, confidence, and developing an overall love of reading. Background check required.
click here for details...
Volunteer role: Be a one-on-one reading Buddy to a student.
Orientation and Training:
To be a Buddy, you will need to attend an Open Books Orientation and an Open Books Buddies training session. If your preferred Buddies site starts meeting before the next available training, you may still join the program at its next reading session. Just please be sure to attend the training ASAP! Contact Ava (azeligson@open-books.org) to RSVP or with any questions.
Buddies Site #1: Old Irving Park
Chicago International Charter School - Irving Park
3820 N. Spaulding
Chicago, IL 60618
CTA: Irving Park Brown Line Bus #80 Irving Park
Start Date:January 6, 2010
Days/Times:
Wednesdays
3-4pm
Want to be a Buddy at Irving Park? Fill out our volunteer form now!
Buddies Site #2: Bucktown
Chicago International Charter School - Bucktown
2235 N. Hamilton
Chicago, IL 60647
CTA:Damen Blue Line
Western Blue Line
Bus #50 Damen
Bus #74 Fullerton
Start Date:January 5, 2010
Days/Times:
Tuesdays
4-5pm
Want to be a Buddy at Bucktown? Fill out our volunteer form now!
Buddies Site #3: South Loop / Chinatown
Perspectives Charter School - Joslin Campus
1930 S. Archer
Chicago, IL 60616
CTA: Chinatown Red Line
Start Date:January 5, 2010
Days/Times:
Tuesdays
3:45 - 4:45pm
Want to be a Buddy at Perspectives? Fill out our volunteer form now!
Buddies Site #4: West Town
Mitchell Elementary School
2233 W. Ohio
Chicago, IL 60612
CTA:
Bus #66 Chicago
Bus #49 Western
Start Date:January 14, 2010
Days/Times:
Thursdays
12:15 - 1:15pm
Want to be a Buddy at Mitchell? Fill out our volunteer form now!
Buddies Site #5: Bronzeville
Bronzeville Lighthouse Charter School
8 W. Root
Chicago, IL 60609
CTA:
Indiana Green Line
Bus #29 State St.
Start Date:January 12, 2010
Days/Times:
Tuesdays
2:45 - 3:45pm
Want to be a Buddy at Bronzeville Lighthouse? Fill out our volunteer form now!
Buddies Site #6: Evanston
Oakton Elementary School
436 Ridge
Evanston, IL 60202
CTA:
South Boulevard Purple Line
Start Date:January 13, 2010
Days/Times:
Wednesdays
10:15 - 11:15am
Want to be a Buddy at Oakton? Fill out our volunteer form now!
Buddies Site #7: Logan Square
Goethe Elementary School
2236 N. Rockwell
CTA:
California Blue Line
Bus #56 Milwaukee
Bus #49 Western
Bus #74 Fullerton
Start Date:January 7, 2010
Days/Times:
Thursdays
1:30 - 2:30pm
Want to be a Buddy at Goethe? Fill out our volunteer form now!
Buddies Site #8: Uptown
McCutcheon Elementary School
4865 N. Sheridan
CTA:
Lawrence Red Line
Bus #36 Broadway
Start Date:February 9, 2010
Days/Times:
Tuesdays
3-4pm
Want to be a Buddy at McCutcheon? Fill out our volunteer form now!
Buddies Site #9: Pilsen
Jungman Elementary
1746 S. Miller
CTA:
Bus #8 Halsted
Bus #18 16th-18th
Start Date:March 8, 2010
Days/Times:
Mondays
2:45-3:45pm
**Spanish speakers strongly encouraged!**
Want to be a Buddy at Jungman? Fill out our volunteer form now!
Buddies Site #10: Roscoe Village
Jahn Elementary School
3149 N. Wolcott
CTA:
Paulina Brown Line
Bus #77 Belmont
Bus #50 Damen
Start Date:February 18, 2010
Days/Times:
Thursdays
3:15 - 4:15pm
Want to be a Buddy at Jahn? Fill out our volunteer form now!
Wondering what a Buddies session looks like? Check out our photo set!
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Creative Writing Field Trips At Open Books
mornings / River North Would you like to help Open Books bring poetry and prose to life for 4th through 12th graders? Then become a writing coach on our creative writing field trips team! We need fun folks to help with visiting classes on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. No experience necessary! You can sign up to come weekly or as your schedule allows.
click here for details...
Times/Location
Tuesday and Thursday mornings
9:30 am - noon
Open Books
213 W. Institute Place
Suite 207
To find out more and get started with field trips, fill out our volunteer form and sign up for an orientation now!
Wondering what a field trip looks like? Check out our photo set! |
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VWrite: Virtual Mentoring For High School Students
flexible / virtual
"Virtual" volunteers coach high school juniors on college- and career-related writing skills via weekly e-mail, instant message, and/or phone conferences. Topics may include college essays, resumes, cover letters, and e-mail etiquette. Volunteers will read, edit, and make suggestions about student writing each week and listen, give advice, and assist students with personal goal-setting.
click here for details...
Volunteer Requirements
Computer, internet, and phone access, strong professional writing and editing skills, and the ability to schedule regular times to communicate online and by phone with assigned student. Volunteers must pass criminal background check and basic tests of grammar, spelling, and editing, and ideal mentors will have experience communicating or working with teenagers. While the program is virtual and you and your student will set your own weekly schedule, you must be available for a couple in-person events to get things started.
To find out more, fill out our volunteer form and sign up for an orientation now! |
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Wordshops
Open Books / River North
Are you an experienced educator or workshop leader? Could you volunteer to create and/or lead a literacy program, i.e. a "Wordshop," for Open Books in 2010? The literacy department is open to your ideas for classes and workshops that benefit youth or families. We will consider one-time, multiweek, and year-round offerings — daytime and evening, weekend or weekday, depending on the best time to reach desired constituents. We also welcome partnerships with other organizations.
Find out more and apply to join us!
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WeWrite: Writing Coaching For Adults
Open Books / River North Serve as a writing mentor for our newest program: evening writing workshops! One set of sessions will focus on creative writing topics such as memoir, poetry, and journaling, and will include reading and performance of published and student work. Other sessions will focus on career-related writing skills such as resumes, cover letters, and filling out online job applications, and will include writing, editing, and computer work.
click here for details...
Volunteer Requirements
All volunteers should have an upbeat, encouraging attitude, an interest in writing and working with adults, and a firm grasp of English grammar. Spanish skills are a plus but not a requirement. Volunteers should have strong professional writing and editing skills and be proficient at using computers and the internet for job searches and professional tasks.
To find out more, fill out our volunteer form and sign up for an orientation now!
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Wordshops
Open Books / River North
Are you an experienced educator or workshop leader? Could you volunteer to create and/or lead a literacy program, i.e. a "Wordshop," for Open Books in 2010? The literacy department is open to your ideas for classes and workshops that benefit adult learners or families. We will consider one-time, multiweek, and year-round offerings — daytime and evening, weekend or weekday, depending on the best time to reach desired constituents. We also welcome partnerships with other organizations.
Find out more and apply to join us!
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Bookstore Volunteering
The Open Books Store / River North
Chicago Literary Scene Examiner called it "the most beautiful bookstore in Chicago," and it's the showcase for our social venture of selling books to raise money for literacy programs. Help make it even better by volunteering to shelve, sort, stock, and do other store-based tasks!
Find out more and apply to join us!
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Storytime
The Open Books Store / River North
Calling all storytellers! Would you love to lead Open Books storytime for our young readers? We need engaging, educational storytelling volunteers with morning availability on weekdays or Saturdays, once a month. Attendance at an Open Books orientation and storytime training are required.
Ready to join? Apply now! |
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Book Processing
Open Books / River North
Open Books is spreading the love of literacy online, and we need volunteers to help ready our books for the Web! Would you like to spend a few hours in the afternoon scanning and sorting?
Come help! Attendance at an Open Books orientation is required, so please sign up to get started.
Email volunteer@open-books.org if you are interested in joining us!
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Office Assistance: Occasional Projects
M-F 9am - 5pm / River North
Are you a decent typist? Could you spare a couple of hours a week for data entry? Do you have a not-so-secret passion for filing, organizing, or research? Would you like to see the city while putting up flyers and helping us spread the word about the literacy cause? If you said yes to any of those questions and you have a few hours a week, we could use your help in the Open Books office for occasional projects! Email volunteer@open-books.org and we'll keep you posted as needs arise! |
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Open Books Events
varies / around the city
From book sales and book swaps through the Printers Row Lit Fest and Pitchfork Music Festival, the year is full of fantastic events at Open Books! We're always looking for volunteers to have fun with us. Check out the Events page to see what's coming up on the calendar and how you can help! |
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES WITH
OPEN BOOKS PARTNERS |
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Tutoring Kids At Chicago HOPES
afternoons, evenings, weekends / around the city
Chicago HOPES empowers homeless students to succeed academically through shelter-based, after-school tutoring and cultural enrichment opportunities. We join them as volunteers to help kids with their homework and literacy skills.
click here for details...
Volunteer role: Assist 1-3 students with homework and other activities.
Times/Locations:
Great Hope Family Center (Pilsen)
2622 W. Cermak
Monday and Wednesday, 3:30 - 5pm
Ubuntu (Brighton Park)
2905 W. 43rd St. (Pope John Paul II Drive)
Tuesday and Thursday, 3:30 - 5pm
Cornerstone Community Outreach (Uptown)
4628 N. Clifton
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, 3 - 4:30pm
Maria Shelter (Englewood)
7320 S. Yale
Monday and Wednesday, 3:30 - 5pm
Tabb South I (Gresham)
8718 S. Paulina
Tuesday, 3:30 - 5pm
Sunday, 6 - 7:30pm
Thelma's Place (Ashburn)
8040 S. Western
Sunday, 6 - 7:30pm
Tuesday and Thursday, 3:30 - 5pm
Commitment:
90 minutes weekly for at least 1 semester
Additional:
Background check and training session required.
To find out more and become a Chicago HOPES tutor, fill out our volunteer form and sign up for an orientation now!
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Youth Tutoring / Activities At Christopher House
times vary / 3 sites
(North/Northwest)
Open Books is excited to partner with Christopher House, a family resource center which has been serving Chicago communities for more than 100 years! Open Books volunteers are needed and welcome in the many Christopher House programs below.
click here for details...
Christopher House's sites are:
2507 N. Greenview in Lincoln Park
3255 W. Altgeld in Logan Square
4701 N. Winthrop in Uptown
Programs you can volunteer in at these sites are:
Youth Tutoring
Mondays and Wednesdays
5:30 - 6:30 pm
6:30 - 7:30 pm
Uptown
Tuesdays and Thursdays
5:30 - 6:30 pm
6:30 - 7:30 pm
Lincoln Park
College Prep Assistance for 8th-10th Graders
(College degree or professional career required)
Various weekdays
3:30 - 6:30 pm
Lincoln Park
ESL Kids' Club
Mondays and Wednesdays
3 - 5 pm
6 - 8 pm
Logan Square
Tuesdays and Thursdays
9 - 11 am
6 - 8 pm
Lincoln Park
To get started at Christopher House, fill out our volunteer form and sign up for an orientation now!
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Youth Tutoring, Mentoring, And More At East Village Youth Program
times vary / several locations
Open Books is delighted to partner with East Village Youth Program and its fantastic youth literacy programs!
click here for details...
East Village Youth Program is located at:
3643 W. Belmont
(Avondale, 2 blocks from Belmont Blue Line stop)
Programs you can volunteer for at this site are:
Tutor in Avondale/Logan Square
Help students in grades 5-12 with homework or a specific subject area. Middle school students typically need help with their homework, high school students typically need help in a subject area. Tutors work one-on-one or with a small group of students.
1 day a week, Monday or Wednesday
6 - 7:15 pm
3643 W. Belmont
Office location
2 blocks from Belmont Blue Line stop
Mentor In Avondale / Logan Square
Get matched with a student in grade 6-10 and develop a personal relationship with him/her. Meet with your student 3-4 times a month.
1 formal mentor/mentee meeting a month
Night of the week TBA
6 - 7 pm
3643 W. Belmont
Office location
2 blocks from Belmont Blue Line stop
Scholarship Coach in Avondale / Logan Square
Get matched with a student in grade 11. Scholarship coach will help student navigate the process of applying for private scholarships for 2 academic years. Aside from the initial orientation/trainings, scholarship coaches can maintain a relationship with their student in whatever manner best suits the pair. Communication can include but is not limited to meetings at EVYP, communication via email, phone calls, etc. Scholarship coach and student will determine their own meeting style during the orientation/trainings.
Pairs must communicate monthly. Scholarship coach will support student to submit monthly scholarship log.
2 (academic) year commitment required. No exceptions.
Start date and commitment:
November 2009 - June 2011
3643 W. Belmont
Office location
2 blocks from Belmont Blue Line stop
Other Volunteer Opportunities
- Facilitate a workshop for parents, elementary students, high school students, college students, or alumni on a variety of topics ranging from Financial Aid, How to Choose a Major, Personal Financial Planning, Why College is Important, etc.
- Serve on a career panel
- Host a job shadow
- Be a guest speaker
- Design and implement ACT curriculum
- Provide administrative help
- Volunteer on the benefit committee
- Fundraise
- Serve on the Board of Directors
- Help with website design
- Volunteer with Mitchell Elementary School's Community School Initiative
To find out more and volunteer through Open Books' partnership with East Village Youth Program, fill out our volunteer form and sign up for an orientation now!
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Visiting Schools With Sit Stay Read
weekday mornings and varied after-school and weekend times / around Chicago
Open Books partner Sit Stay Read brings volunteers and dogs - yes, doggies! - to schools and community facilities so kids can read and write with them and improve literacy skills. It's lots of fun, and the program gets results! :) You don't even need to own a dog to volunteer.
click here for details...
Volunteer role:
Read with children and assist with writing projects.
To find out more and sign up for a Sit Stay Read training date, fill out our volunteer form and sign up for an orientation now!
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Playing On The StoryBus
mornings, afternoons / around the city
What is the StoryBus? 37 feet of interactive literacy activities for kids! We join the Bus on its travels and help with reading, playing, face painting, and more.
click here for details...
Volunteer role:
Read stories to pre-K and K classes, play and explore with students in the bus, do face painting.
Times/Location:
9am - 4pm
Schools across the city
Commitment:
Help as often as you like, based on your availability. Calendars will be emailed monthly.
Additional:
Fingerprinting and background check required
To find out more and get started on the StoryBus, fill out our volunteer form and sign up for an orientation now!
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The State of Illinois requires 12 hours of training for new adult literacy tutors. Unless otherwise noted in the program listings below, trainings are conducted by Open Books partner Literacy Works. Please make sure you are on the Open Books e-mail list and signed up as a volunteer to get the latest training info. Once you're trained, you can tutor in any of our programs and start helping a fellow Chicagoan learn English, improve job skills, take the GED, or even learn to read for the first time! |
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Adult Education At Albany Park Community Center
times flexible / Albany Park
Albany Park Community Center, a vibrant part of one of Chicago's most diverse areas of the Northwest Side, is in need of volunteer tutors in English as a Second Language (ESL), basic literacy, and math. A good command of the English language and a desire to teach adults are required.
click here for details...
Volunteer role:
One-on-one adult education tutor
Location:
Albany Park Community Center
5101 N. Kimball Ave
Times:
Hours are flexible - mornings, afternoons, evenings, or Saturdays - as long as they are consistent. Ideal tutors commit to about 4 hours per week, meeting with student(s) twice per week for 2 hours per session.
To volunteer with our partners at Albany Park Community Center, fill out our volunteer form and sign up for an orientation now!
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Adult Tutoring At Christopher House
times vary / 3 sites (North/Northwest)
Open Books is excited to partner with Christopher House, a family resource center which has been serving Chicago communities for more than 100 years! Open Books volunteers are needed and welcome in the many Christopher House programs below.
click here for details...
Christopher House's sites are:
2507 N. Greenview in Lincoln Park
3255 W. Altgeld in Logan Square
4701 N. Winthrop in Uptown
Programs you can volunteer in at these sites are:
GED Tutoring For Adults
(12-hour state training highly encouraged but not required)
Mondays and Wednesdays
9:30 - 1:00
Various sites
Adult ESL Tutoring
Mondays
5:45 - 7:15
Uptown
Mondays and Wednesdays
3 - 5
6 - 8
Logan Square
Tuesdays and Thursdays
9 - 11
6 - 8
Lincoln Park
Individual tutoring sessions also arranged based on student and volunteer schedules.
To get started at Christopher House, fill out our volunteer form and sign up for an orientation now!
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