Thank you for your interest in volunteering with us!
Our program relies on the dedicated work of our volunteers, and we greatly appreciate your interest in joining our team.
- Ready to get started? Please fill out our online application.
- If you are looking for a different type of volunteer opportunity at NSC, please see our general Volunteer and Internship Opportunities page.
- If you have any questions not addressed below, please see our Contact Page. (Select 'English Classes' as the Service Area)
Class Schedule
- Monday and Wednesday mornings
9:30am-12:00pm - Monday and Wednesday evenings
6:30pm-9:00pm - Tuesday and Thursday mornings
9:30am-12:00pm - Tuesday and Thursday evenings
6:30pm-9:00pm
*We tend to have a greater need for volunteers with evening availability. Having evening availability or flexibile availability will greatly increase the likelihood that we will be able to schedule you for a class.
2018-2019 Course Calendar
- Spring 2019
April 8 - June 17 - Summer 2019
July 8 - September 16 - Fall 2019
October 7 - December 17 - Winter 2020
January 13 - March 25 - Spring 2020
April 13 - June 22
Volunteer Requirements
- 18 years or older
- Fluent English speaker
- Minimum commitment of ten weeks, five hours per week (see calendar and schedule above)
- Approved volunteers will be required to submit a PA Criminal Background Check and PA Child Abuse History Clearance dated within the past 5 years.
Volunteer Expectations
Volunteers are generally placed in one of two capacities:
- Teacher: Volunteers who have experience and/or training in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. Teachers are expected to plan and deliver lessons with the assistance of a Teaching Assistant.
- Teaching Assistant (TA): Volunteers who are new to Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. Teaching Assistants are expected to support the Teacher through administrative tasks, monitoring of student comprehension, and additional ad-hoc tasks. For Teaching Assistants interested in gaining teaching experience, there may also be opportunities to teach portions of lessons, to lead occassional lessons, or to substitute teach.
FAQs
What are the student demographics?
Our student body is incredibly diverse. In the last year, we had students from over 70 countries, speaking over 60 unique languages. (Many of our students speak multiple non-English langauges.) All students are 16 years or older.
How many students are in a class?
Most classes have 12 students maximum.
What level will my students be?
We offer 8 levels of classes, from pre-literate to advanced. Students take a placement test prior to registering for a class, which allows us to offer focused instruction that best meets the needs of our students. Volunteers are assigned to a class level based on student need.
What materials will be available to me?
Teachers, TAs, and students will all receive copies of the assigned texts. Volunteers also have access to teacher editions of the texts (with lesson plan suggestions) as well as our library of supplemental texts.
Do I need to have additional language proficiency in order to volunteer?
English fluency is the only language requirement. Knowledge of additional languages can be helpful for gaining insight into student perspective, but as there are many languages spoken by our students, we encourage teachers to provide instruction in English so as not to exclude any students.
Do I need to have teaching experience or certifications in order to volunteer?
Teaching experience and certifications are welcome, but not required. We place volunteers who are new to teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) as TAs in the classroom. For new volunteers who are interested in developing teaching skills, we provide support through workshops and trainings, observations, and ongoing feedback from staff and the lead teacher of the class. We also have a library of resources available for volunteers interested in learning more about teaching theory, TESOL, and linguistics.