Any new students are usually quite anxious. It's a huge step for them to seek help for something they are ashamed of and have been shamed about. For this reason, this is a critically important role.
Because they have built up courage to call the Rural Youth and Adult Literacy Trust in the first place, we need kind and patient interviewers who are able to quickly put them at ease.
The type of students could be teenager or adult. If you have a preference – or develop one over time – you can just let us know.
Interviewing students is a two-step process. The first call is to fill out the student interview form and chat, to build rapport, get information and make them feel relaxed about the whole process. The second call is to conduct a running record once the student has received the reading material in the mail.
Join our small dedicated team of student interviewers, and help us to give the students a warm welcome and provide information which helps us personalise their learning and match them to a volunteer literacy coach.
The process:
• New students' details are posted on a noticeboard.
• If you are available to do that student, you put your hand up.
• It is really important we get the students interviewed as quickly as possible, so we have a small team of interviewers (3-4) working together. This helps to ensure that there is no pressure on our volunteer interviewers and keeps the time commitments flexible.
• You post the progress on the noticeboard (eg. if you have got hold of them, when the first interview is, etc.)
We provide a phone app that you can put on your mobile phone so that the interview calls won't cost you anything. Messaging with the team is done via Slack, which is similar to WhatsApp/Facebook Messenger.
This is a profoundly fulfilling role. One of our interviewers said they quickly became interested in the back stories of new learners and how they had slipped through the education system for many different reasons, and realised they enjoyed the interactions and conversations they had with them along the way.
Please send an email to our Volunteer Coordinator, Milli Reyes. Thank you.
Free. Confidential. One-to-one. At the learner's own pace.
The Rural Youth & Adult Literacy Trust (RYALT) is a nationwide charity providing free one-to-one literacy and numeracy support to rural and isolated teenagers and adults across Aotearoa New Zealand.
We believe everyone deserves the opportunity to read, write, communicate, and participate confidently in everyday life. Through our dedicated team of volunteers, we support learners from the comfort of their own homes via phone, video conferencing, and face-to-face sessions where available.
Our volunteers help transform lives by building confidence, independence, employment opportunities, educational success, and stronger connections within communities. Whether supporting students directly, helping with marketing, outreach, fundraising, or community engagement, every volunteer plays an important role in making literacy support accessible to those who need it most.