BUTLER TWP — When Dianne Blakely of Center Township retired from teaching in 2008, she knew educating would remain in her life.

Blakely, 67, has been a volunteer tutor since 2009, working for the Butler County Community College’s Adult Literacy Program, helping to tutor adults who may not have the skills they desire.

The Adult Literacy Program has been at BC3 since 1986, when it focused on providing General Educational Development (GED) test preparation, according to Barbara Gade, the director of BC3’s Adult Literacy Program.

The program has since grown, providing tutoring services in all academic areas including financial and computer literacy, Gade said. Some of the courses also are designed to help those who want to pursue higher education after getting their GED, she said.

While all tutors at BC3 are trained, Blakely felt uniquely qualified for the job, having taught fourth grade at Northwest Elementary School in the Butler School District.

“I think because I was a teacher, I’m used to planning and searching for (lessons),” Blakely said. “It was part of what I always did.”

Blakely began working with her current student at the end of 2009, she said. The student is a dedicated hard worker in his mid-20s, and together, they work on aspects of literacy such as vocabulary, written responses and phonetics, she said.

Blakely’s student has a strong interest in current events so she uses that as an avenue to keep his interest in learning, she said.

One resource in particular, Newsela, allows Blakely to tailor lessons to her student’s reading level. Newsela is a news site that adjusts its articles for different reading levels, from second-grade to a 12th-grade reading level.

But finding resources that meet both her student’s needs and interests is the most challenging aspect of being a tutor, even with her background in education, she said.

For Blakely, reading is a crucial part of life.

“I saw the importance of reading in people’s lives. Reading is probably the most important (skill), then writing,” she said. “To me, reading is vital, just to get along in the world.”

However, progress in literacy can be a slow process, especially because the tutors and the students determine how often they meet.

Blakely has only about an hour and a half with her student each week, but that limited time does not diminish her work, she said.

“It takes a while, but I think we’ve made good progress,” Blakely said, adding the entire process is quite rewarding for her.

“I just really enjoy (working with) the student I have,” she said. “We have formed a relationship, and we have both benefited from it.”

Blakely also believes the need in the area exceeds what people would expect.

“I just see it as a very positive program, and there’s a need here in Butler County, more than people realize,” she said.

The need is not only for those preparing for the GED tests, Gade said, stressing the program services individuals at plenty of learning levels in a wide variety of subjects.

The program has 28 tutors, all of whom are volunteers, some as young as their early 20s, Gade said.

“It would help us to have even more tutors,” she said, adding the program always needs math tutors.

To be a one-on-one tutor, an individual must have a bachelor’s degree or be in the process of getting that degree. For those who volunteer as classroom aides, no degree is necessary.

For those interested in becoming an Adult Literacy Program tutor, call BC3 at 724-287-8711, Ext. 8350.