Our volunteer tutors power our work and personify a spirit of generosity and openness that help new English language learners build the essential language and cultural skills needed to find their place, their purpose and their voice. If you have been looking to become more involved in your community this year, consider being a one-to-one English language tutor with the Volunteer English Program.
Requirements & Next Steps
Need More Information? Attend an Information Session
Ready to Begin? Register for a Tutor Training Workshop
Requirements & Next Steps
Tutoring requires a one-year commitment of approximately 3 hours per week, for the sake of continuity and effectiveness for our students. If you wish to be involved but cannot make such a commitment, please send us an email or contact us at 610-918-9222 and we will be glad to discuss other ways of helping our program.
Step 1: Attend a Tutor Training Workshop
Prepare to be a tutor through a VEP Tutor Training Workshop. Sessions are held virtually throughout the year. Not ready to commit to a workshop but want to learn more about us and ask questions? Information Sessions are held virtually every other month; contact us by email to register.
Step 2: Review Student Profiles
Review the profiles of individuals on the waiting list and give input about who you would like to have as a student.
Step 3: Meet Your New Student
Meet your new student along with VEP staff. During this matching appointment, you will:
- Receive information about your student’s language skill level and learning goals
- Determine a convenient, appropriate place to meet with your student
- Learn how you can develop an individualized learning plan with your student
- Select appropriate books and resources tailored to your students’ needs
Step 4: Begin Tutoring
After you have been matched, you will:
- Meet with your student twice per week if possible for 1 ½ hours each time.
- Develop weekly lessons based on student centered goals.
- Regularly enter tutoring hours and goals via VEP’s online tutor portal.
- Network with other tutors at VEP social and educational events.
- Always have VEP staff to call upon for any concerns and more ideas.
Attend an Information Session
Interested in learning more about the Volunteer English Program but not yet ready to commit to a tutor training workshop? Join us for a virtual, interactive information session led by our program staff.
Our next Virtual Information Session will be held on
Thursday, January 13th at 6 pm.
To participate, email us at volunteer.english@volunteerenglish.org
for the zoom link.
Register for a Tutor Training Workshop
VEP’s highly successful interactive Tutor Training Workshop, which uses our proprietary training materials, is designed to fully prepare volunteers to teach VEP’s long waiting list of new English speakers who live or work in Chester County. Sessions are held virtually several times a year.
Next Tutor Training Workshop
January 27th (Tuesday), January 29th (Thursday)
& February 2nd (Monday), 2026
Time: 9:00 – 11:00 am each morning
Where: Secure Zoom Platform by Invitation upon Registration.
Workshop Fee: $40.00 (materials and training time)
Two (2) hours attendance required each morning or evening to complete the course. Virtual seating capacity per training is 25 persons on average. Volunteer commitment is for a minimum of one-year, three hours (2 meetings for 1.5 hours each) of weekly instruction with a new English language adult learner.
*Please note that while this is a virtual event, your hard-copy Tutor Training Guide will need to be picked up at the VEP office in West Chester the week before training starts. Pick-up dates will be provided after registration.
There are two ways to register for our Tutor Training Workshop:
- Register online prior to the event. To register, click here.
- Register by calling 610-918-8222 and mailing fee in advance of the workshop to the Volunteer English Program, 790 East Market Street, Suite 215, West Chester, PA, 19382.
We look forward to meeting you soon!