Adults: FAQ
What are the requirements as an adult volunteer in this program? Do I need Tamil teaching experience?
No, we don't need Tamil teaching experience to be an adult volunteer. A strong interest in Tamil and passion for involving in community activities is lot more important. We have adults with various levels of language skills and they all have found their work productive and rewarding.
What are some of the opportunities for adults to participate in this effort?
Adults of all ages and varying levels of Tamil skills are invited to participate in this program. Some of the ways they can help are:
Assist the teen volunteers during online translations sessions weekly.
Help in reviewing the translated content from teen volunteers and improve the quality.
Help train other adult and teen volunteers and provide technical/workflow help on demand.
Help with finding speakers for student enrichment webinars and social activities to keep our your volunteers engaged and excited.
Spread the word about this program to others via word of mouth or social media and connect interested individuals to us.
How much time commitment should I expect to give?
In general we find most volunteers spend about one hour per week. If you are an adult helping with online translations session, that one hour per week is pre-determined based on your availability and the students on your team. Most teams prefer to have their weekly sessions during weekend so it doesn't collide with their regular school and work.
If you are an adult volunteer performing any of the other activities mentioned above, you have the flexibility to choose the time to devote to this. If you are reviewing the student work, we ask that you review the material sometime soon after the weekly sessions are over and have the feedback ready for the students to go through in their next session.
Can I be a volunteer at my own child's team?
Yes! In fact, most of our teachers start out by volunteering in the team with their own child. This helps by both the student and parent learn this together and use each other's advantage to help each other. For example, we have found children to be lot more adept at using Technology than their parents and they end up teaching a lot to them!
What if I get too busy on some weeks? Are there other people who can serve as a backup?
Yes, we have back up volunteers who can fill in for you if you are swamped with other commitments or otherwise unavailable on any week. We assign more than one adult volunteer to each team so the work is shared and they also serve as a backup for each other.
Do I need to be proficient in using computers and other tools? What kind of computer do I need to have?
We provide training to use all the software products that are used to conduct the lessons and reviews. We use Google meet for online sessions and various Google documents to collaborate. They are extremely easy to learn and we will provide any training to use them if needed.
You don't need any special type of Computer. All the software works on standard browsers (such as Google Chrome, Firefox, Edge etc) so they are already there if you have a Computer at home. For those who assist online sessions, a good internet connection with a computer equipped with webcam and mic is required. Any standard laptop or desktop and any OS (Windows, Mac or Chromebook) is fine.
Do I need special software to type in Tamil?
No, most browsers and modern operating systems come with built-in options for typing in Tamil. We also have documentation to help you install them if needed.