Volunteer Opportunities
We are always in need of skilled, dedicated volunteers to support our work.
Would you like to help other adults improve their English literacy skills and have a better chance at influencing their children’s future?
You’ve come to the right place!
There are many volunteer opportunities with BEACON. Each is significant to the organization and rewarding to the volunteer. Most of our needs are for adult literacy volunteer instructors. Previous experience is not needed. We will train you! You will learn to teach reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Workforce literacy, computer literacy, financial literacy, pre-GED, and citizenship are incorporated into our curriculum. Our focus is the English language, being bi-lingual is not needed. The first step is to contact the office to schedule your free training. We offer continued staff support throughout your volunteering experience with us.
Classes are held in the mornings from 9:30 to 11:30, or in the evenings from 7:00 to 9:00 at various locations around the county through partnerships with our host sites. We ask instructors to commit to either two or four hours per week for a minimum of one semester. Each semester averages 12 weeks in duration. Free ongoing professional development opportunities are available throughout the year.
2017 Training Dates
- Professional Development
- January 28, 2017
- 9-11am
- Subiaco Room- Benedictine Sisters of VA Monastery
9535 Linton Hall Road Bristow VA 20136
- Literacy Volunteer Training 1
- February 25, 2017
- 8:30am-2:30pm
- Subiaco Room- Benedictine Sisters of VA Monastery
9535 Linton Hall Road Bristow VA 20136
- Literacy Volunteer Training 2
- March 25, 2017
- 8:30am-2:30pm
- Subiaco Room- Benedictine Sisters of VA Monastery
9535 Linton Hall Road Bristow VA 20136
- Professional Development
- April 22, 2017
- 9-11am
- Subiaco Room- Benedictine Sisters of VA Monastery
9535 Linton Hall Road Bristow VA 20136
Volunteer Opportunities Include:
- Small Group Instructor (up to 10 students)
- One-on-One Instructor
- Computer Instruction Facilitator
- Substitute Instructor
- Workshop Facilitator or Presenter
- Office Assistant
- Substitute Teacher
- Site Management
- Administer Literacy Assessments
- Join our Executive Board
Classes Offered:
- 8 levels of ESL and Basic Education Instruction
- US History & Government
- Conversation
- Citizenship
- Financial Literacy
- Pre-GED Math
- Pre-GED Language Arts
- Computer Literacy
- Workforce Literacy
Latest News
A Tradition of Immigration in VirginiaJanuary 10, 2017 - 4:30 pmFrom the colonists who founded Jamestown in 1607, Virginia has welcomed generations of new Americans to its shores and today it is one of the most ethnically diverse states in the nation. Home to more than one million immigrants, Virginia ranks as having the 9th largest foreign-born population in the United States.
Spotlight on: The Sisters at BEACONDecember 18, 2016 - 12:23 amBEACON was founded in 1992 by Sister Eileen Heaps to address the need for adult literacy education in Prince William County. Today, four Sisters and Postulant Kay Fitzgerald directly continue Sister Eileen’s mission. Sister Doris Nolte is a co-facilitator of the new CareGiver pilot program. A retired principal, classroom teacher, and registered nurse, Sister Doris […]
From the Executive Director:
Letter from the Director: Winter 2016December 20, 2016 - 4:36 pmGreetings! BEACON for Adult Literacy, like many Adult Education literacy organizations across the country, is undergoing change. The Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act (WIOA) has shifted education (at all levels) to have a strong focus on job readiness skills and career pathways. While any change can be challenging, BEACON is approaching the future with optimism and […]
BEACON Fall AppealSeptember 30, 2016 - 7:49 pmDear BEACON friend: “I can’t believe I did it. When I came here I didn’t have any education; this is what is beautiful about America, I am doing many things now, I have a good job, and I can get an education.” Maria is BEACON’s latest inductee into US Citizenship. She came to the United […]