Be a Writing Consultant
Help others help themselves! Our volunteers are drawn from the NOVA student body and from the community. Volunteer consultants work with our diverse student population to help students improve their writing and reading skills. Students include both native English speakers and people learning English as a second (or additional) language.
All Volunteers Must
- Enjoy working with people of diverse backgrounds
- Be able to commit to three hours per week
- Submit a sample of your writing
- Complete training as outlined below
Student Volunteers Must
- Have completed or be currently enrolled in ENG 111
- Be an A or B+ student in College Composition class
- Provide a letter from your English professor (past or present) confirming that you did well in the course and would be a suitable writing consultant
- Commit to volunteering for a minimum of one semester
Requirements for Community Volunteers
- Have an interest in writing and reading
- Have experience in writing, reading, editing or teaching
- Commit to volunteering for a minimum of one year (time off is permitted of course for holidays and vacations)
Training for Volunteers
As a new volunteer, you'll attend a training session that lasts approximately one and one-half hours. After your training session, an experienced tutor will sit in on your first one or two tutoring sessions to answer your questions and offer you feedback.
Benefits of Volunteering
Why should you volunteer in the Writing Center? Here are some of the benefits our volunteers say they've received as a result of their experience here:
- Contributing to the success of others is a rewarding experience.
- Volunteering is a great activity to list on my transfer application to a university.
- The Writing Center is a great work environment!
- Having volunteer work on your resume gives a good impression to prospective employers.
- I've learned a lot from the people I tutor!