An ‘aging’ Literacy Highland Lakes seeks volunteers and students
Literacy Highland Lakes volunteer tutors provide individualized instruction, helping adult students in Burnet and Llano counties achieve their educational goals, including high school equivalency and citizenship test preparation. Photo courtesy of Sue Wieland
The Literacy Highland Lakes program urgently needs volunteers and students to continue providing tutoring and mentorship services for residents in Burnet and Llano counties.
Established in 1987, the organization offers free classes to help people prepare for high school equivalency exams and the USCIS Naturalization Test for U.S. citizenship. However, dwindling attendance and an aging volunteer base threaten the program’s future.
“Our current volunteers are aging out, and attracting new volunteers is difficult because we cannot guarantee student numbers,” Literacy Highland Lakes President Sue Wieland told DailyTrib.com.
Currently, classes are Mondays from 1-3 p.m. at the Burnet Consolidated Independent School District’s Parent Resource Center and Thursdays from 6-8 p.m. at the Kingsland Branch Library, but attendance fluctuates widely.
“We’ve had times where eight students regularly attended classes, and other times when no one showed up,” Wieland said. “It really varies.”
A primary focus of the organization is helping adult students prepare for the high school equivalency exam, comparable to a GED (General Educational Development test), which includes four nationally standardized tests in language arts, social studies, sciences, and mathematics.
“Preparation (for the high school equivalency test) involves practice tests, one-on-one tutoring, and individualized lesson plans. It’s all tailored specifically to each student’s needs,” Wieland said.
For citizenship preparation, volunteers guide applicants through 100 potential interview questions covering U.S. history and government, and assist them with the extensive N-400 naturalization form.
“It’s not a written test, everything’s done in an interview. Before they can interview, they have to fill out this N-400 form, which is 22 pages long,” Wieland said. “It’s very, very involved, but it’s not necessarily a teaching thing as more of a mentorship.”
Though Literacy Highland Lakes previously offered English as a Second Language (ESL) classes, it has shifted its focus due to the availability of similar programs elsewhere. Still, the organization emphasizes the critical need for bilingual volunteers.
“I’m about 85 percent fluent in Spanish,” Wieland said, “but it would be wonderful if we had more bilingual volunteers. We’ve never had anyone successfully complete GED testing in Spanish because many students haven’t had consistent prior education.”
Wieland, a retired Round Rock ISD teacher, highlighted the importance of the program for adults striving to achieve personal goals and improve their quality of life.
“There’s a real need in our community,” she said. “We are looking for volunteers who want to help others in meaningful ways, but we also need students so volunteers feel their time and effort is impactful.”
Those interested in volunteering or attending classes may contact Literacy Highland Lakes at literacyhl@gmail.com.