DuPage nonprofit offers free, personalized English tutoring to help adult learners achieve their goals

By Audrey Gorey

One woman opened her home. Another offered to teach. What started as a small act of kindness soon grew into Literacy DuPage, when a Wheaton resident took in a refugee from Southeast Asia in 1972 and enlisted a fellow former teacher to provide English lessons. They noticed the rising demand for language support in the community and started a DuPage County affiliate of the Literacy Volunteers of America.

Today, nonprofit organization Literacy DuPage provides community members with lessons in literacy, helping both native speakers with literacy skills below the ninth-grade reading level as well as immigrants to learn English. The organization serves low-income adults (age 21 and over) in DuPage County who are seeking English proficiency.

Throughout Literacy DuPage, 29 different languages are represented, and 60 percent of the program’s learners have an advanced degree from their native country.  “Our learners came here because of a variety of reasons, but they just want an opportunity to contribute,” Program Manager Laurie Hoffman said. “They don’t want to be a burden on society.”

Anna, a Literacy DuPage learner from Poland, attends a Conversation Group for extra English practice.
Photo courtesy of Literacy DuPage

Hoffman has worked in adult education since 2005 and has managed the day-to-day operations of Literacy DuPage for the past four years. “People come to our program because they have an urgent need. They need to get a better job, provide for their family, provide services, maybe they want to attend a parent-teacher conference. Our focus is to help them acclimate to the United States,” Hoffman said.

To become certified, Literacy DuPage tutors complete 15 hours of training before being matched with a learner based on shared availability. Tutor-learner pairs typically meet for two hours each week at a local library.

Learners are screened and assessed on their speaking and listening skills, with priority given to those who can’t afford other English classes. “We serve the most vulnerable population, that of low literacy and low income,” Hoffman said. “Literacy DuPage has a very diverse population; we don’t turn anyone away.” 

The Illinois Secretary of State is Literacy DuPage’s largest grant funder and has been supporting the program for years through their Adult Volunteer Literacy Grant. Through the generosity of this grant and other funding, the nonprofit has been able to significantly expand its impact. In its first operational year, Literacy DuPage had 22 tutors and served 39 students. Today, the organization has over 230 active tutors and 275 learners, according to their year-end report.

“These groups really build a sense of community
because it’s all people who are kind of going
through the same journey together.”

– Kristin Chmiel, Executive Director of Literacy DuPage

Executive Director Kristin Chmiel has been with Literacy DuPage for just over a year. After taking some time off during COVID-19, she was drawn to a role in education and found Literacy DuPage to be a perfect fit. Her responsibilities include grant writing, marketing, social media outreach, and volunteer recruitment. “I love the mission and hearing all the success stories that our learners accomplish in their time here,” Chmiel said. “It’s been a really great place to work.”

Chmiel explained that, in addition to direct tutoring, Literacy DuPage also offers Conversation Groups, where intermediate learners can practice their fluency and conversation skills in a comfortable setting. Conversation Group facilitators prepare a topic to discuss, and learners partake in asking and answering questions, and sharing experiences overall. “These groups really build a sense of community because it’s all people who are kind of going through the same journey together,” Chmiel said.

It is not just English skills that the organization provides; Literacy DuPage facilitates connections that can last a lifetime. Some tutor and learner pairs work together for several years. “They really become like family to each other,” Chmiel said. “Some learners bring their tutors along to doctor’s appointments, family birthday parties, and keep in touch with what career success they have had since learning English.” n

To donate or learn more about volunteering with Literacy DuPage, visit literacydupage.org.

Spotlight on Achievement

Literacy DuPage’s 2025 Spotlight on Achievement Award recipient Willie and Spotlight on Service Award recipient Kathy Minock are pictured with Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, who presented them with their awards.
Photo courtesy of Literacy DuPage

Each year, the Illinois State Library, a division of the Office of Secretary of State, recognizes the achievements of inspiring adult learners who demonstrate tremendous growth as they work to improve their reading skills and proficiency with the English language and of individuals who support the adult literacy effort within Illinois. This year, Willie (last name omitted), a learner from Literacy DuPage, received the Spotlight on Achievement Award. Kathy Minock, a Literacy DuPage tutor, received the Spotlight on Service Award. These awards were presented by Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias.

When Willie started the Literacy DuPage program, “he pulled two slips of paper out of his wallet that had his name, address, and phone number written on them, which he relied on to fill out forms,” Literacy DuPage Executive Director Kristin Chmiel explained. “He was able to copy text but could not read it very well.”

Chmiel explained that Willie had “spent time in jail as a youth and is a recovering alcoholic. His #1 goal was to read from the Big Book during Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. This is a very difficult book to read, and it was beyond his ability. He has made significant progress, and meeting members have commented on his accomplishments.”

Another of Willie’s literacy goals was to learn how to navigate the airport, because his daughter and granddaughter live in Tennessee. Last fall, Willie traveled by himself to visit his family, Chmiel shared. He can now not only “write his name, address, phone number, and pay his bills without assistance,” Chmiel added, he “can even help his 9-year-old granddaughter with her homework.”

Since joining Literacy DuPage in 2017, Kathy Minock demonstrated a deep commitment to helping others, having “embraced challenging tutoring assignments while tutoring nine students,” Chmiel said. “Kathy embodies passion, patience, empathy, and resourcefulness as a tutor…[and] creates a safe and comforting space where her students feel secure and heard.”

  Among the learners Kathy has tutored are a Catholic priest whose primary language was Korean and an ESL student referred to Literacy DuPage by the DuPage County Probation Court system, Chmiel shared. Kathy differentiates her tutoring approach and the materials she employs within tutoring sessions with each learner’s short- and long-term goals in mind and in a way that “honors and recognizes their cultural background and abilities,” Chmiel added.