In Languages and Learning, the adult education department of the Free Library, a number of our programs couldn’t run without the hard work of our dedicated volunteers — so we decided to thank them!

On Monday, June 24, Languages and Learning hosted our first-ever Volunteer Appreciation Celebration in the Skyline Room at Parkway Central Library. All volunteers working with the department were invited to visit the library on a beautiful afternoon to share a meal to celebrate their hard work. For many, including some library staff who work closely with our volunteers, it was the first time meeting face to face! It was a great opportunity to connect and thank our volunteers directly.

We talked over pizza and cookies about our program experiences and the bright future of adult education at the library. Of course, it wasn’t all work talk — there was laughter and personal connections made too! Both our department and the adult learners of Philadelphia are indebted to these hardworking volunteers. Having this specific time and space to thank them was just as important to the staff members as we hoped it was to the volunteers.

What do Languages and Learning volunteers do? They lead our in-person and online language conversation groups, for both English and world languages. They help adults studying for their GED. They work one-on-one with adult learners who’ve requested tutors as they learn literacy or English. If you want to know more about what it's like to volunteer with our department, we recommend Margie’s blog post from last December.

Languages and Learning is always looking for qualified and passionate volunteers! If you'd like to volunteer with adult learners at the Library, please complete the Free Library Volunteer Application and the Office of Children and Families Next Level Learning Tutor Training Form. We provide training for all department volunteers and staff is always available to help. If you’re interested but have questions or maybe want to learn more, contact us directly at adultlearning@freelibrary.org.

If you’d like to volunteer in another capacity, reach out to the Free Library's Volunteer Services for information on other opportunities.