Read This
By Julie Duffin
Appears in the October 2025 issue.
Literacy DuPage offers adults free tutoring sessions and conversation groups
If you’ve ever traveled to another country where you don’t speak the language, you know how difficult it can be to complete the most basic tasks. Even the simplest things like filling a prescription or navigating public transportation can feel impossible without some knowledge of the language. Now imagine that’s your everyday life. According to a 2022 American Community Survey, more than 87,000 residents in DuPage County indicated that they speak English “less than well.”
That’s where Literacy DuPage and its volunteers are making a difference. Through its free tutoring sessions and conversation groups, the nonprofit helps adults with low literacy grow their reading, writing, math, and English proficiency skills.
Literacy DuPage works with low-income adults who read below a ninth-grade level or speak English at a beginning level. Its programs serve a diverse population, including immigrants, refugees, and U.S.-born adults who want to improve their English skills. Many are parents, underemployed, or looking for work. Improving their English opens doors to better jobs, higher income, and greater independence. Learners gain practical tools to support themselves, care for their families, and participate more fully in the community.
“I’ve watched learners grow more confident as their English improves,” says Naperville resident Jamie Schluckebier, who has been a volunteer since June 2022. “I’ve seen parents’ excitement when they finally feel comfortable enough to attend a parent-teacher conference, or talk to a neighbor instead of just wave. I’ve seen learners come in with big smiles to tell the group that they got a new job.”
Literacy DuPage offers one-on-one tutoring sessions that match learners with volunteers who customize lessons based on learners’ specific needs, backgrounds, and goals, enabling them to progress at their own pace and focus on the skills that matter most to them. Learners meet with their tutor weekly for a minimum of six months at their local library or other public location. The nonprofit also hosts free drop-in conversation groups at five area libraries, giving learners with intermediate-and-above English skills a chance to practice listening and speaking in a relaxed setting with peers. The in-person groups are free with no registration required. Virtual conversation groups are also available.
Such opportunities can be life-changing. “Knowledge of English is not just a language, it’s a lifestyle,” explains a recent Literacy DuPage graduate. “It is when you are free to live in the way you deserve. It is when you can give your children more opportunities and you look into the future with more confidence.”
Right now, 70 adult learners are waiting to be matched with a tutor. No multilingual or teaching experience is required for tutors. For more information, visit literacydupage.org.
Did You Know?
According to the 2022 American Community Survey, the population in DuPage County is 907,127 and includes:
• 250,805 residents who speak a language other than English at home
• 53,162 adults who do not have a high school diploma
• 70,756 residents living in poverty (the 2024 federal poverty threshold for a family of four is $31,200).
The median household income in DuPage County is $99,577, while the average annual income of a family served by Literacy DuPage is $27,200.
Fall Fundraiser
Raise a Stein for Progress: Empower Adults to Learn, Grow, and Thrive
This Oktoberfest celebration with food, drinks, and raffle prizes helps support Literacy DuPage.
6 to 8:30 p.m. Oct. 23 at Reserve 22, 485 Winchell Way, Glen Ellyn
Tickets: $80
Photo: Literacy DuPage
