Calling for Teaching Volunteers and Interns: Make a Life-Changing Impact on 2025’s Detroit Students

Are you a college graduate looking for an internship or volunteer opportunity? Need a letter of recommendation for a career in education, social work, or another helping field? Are you passionate about social change or empowering Detroit students with disabilities? Look no further: Independent Living Housing is a Detroit nonprofit that offers excellent internship and volunteer opportunities for anyone interested in becoming a volunteer teacher. 

The Current Situation: Learning Disabilities in Detroit

According to the National Center for Learning Disabilities, one in five students have learning or attention issues.[1]  What we can give them today will decide the futures they can choose from. If they have what they need to adapt to their daily challenges, many of these children will go on to thrive: as doctors, athletes, educators, or anything else you can imagine. But this often requires extra support, frequently lacking, to navigate an education system that was not designed for them.

Sadly, many of these students’ struggles will go unnoticed and unaccommodated. Only a small subset of that one in five will have their problems recognized with a formal disability diagnosis.[1] Students with learning disabilities will be much more likely to develop behavioral problems[2] and to suffer from mental illnesses like depression or anxiety.[3]  And for every non-disabled student who drops out, three with learning disabilities will decide to leave a school system that doesn't serve them.[4] These students will be silently denied their right to an education. These grim realities will be especially true of Detroit, a city whose schools struggle to fund the teachers its children need.

How You Can Help

This is where Independent Living Housing - and you - can make a life-changing difference to Detroit students.   Detroit students reach their full potential: whether as an extended internship, a one-time volunteer opportunity, or something in-between.

How to Become a Volunteer Teacher

Our Teaching Volunteers and Interns:

• Have a Bachelor’s degree - Education or Special Education is preferred, any subject is welcome!

• Have excellent communication and relationship-building skills

• Are compassionate and willing to learn

If this sounds like you, all you have to do is sign up! Send your resume, cover letter, and three references to info@independentlivinghousing.org

References: 

[1] National Center for Learning Disabilities. (2017). The State of Learning Disabilities: Understanding the One in Five. Executive Summary. https://www.ncld.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Executive-Summary.Fin_.03142017.pdf

[2]  Chaban, P. (2015, July 5). Learning disabilities and behavioural/emotional problems. LDAO. Retrieved February 16, 2023, from https://www.ldao.ca/introduction-to-ldsadhd/articles/about-lds/learning-disabilities-and-behaviouralemotional-problems/

[3] Visser, L., Kalmar, J., Linkersdörfer, J., Görgen, R., Rothe, J., Hasselhorn, M., & Schulte-Körne, G. (2020). Comorbidities between specific learning disorders and psychopathology in elementary school children in Germany. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00292 

[4] Learning-Liftoff-Staff, & Learning Liftoff. (2017, June 21). Students with learning disabilities at risk of dropping out of school. Learning Liftoff. Retrieved February 16, 2023, from https://www.learningliftoff.com/students-with-learning-disabilities-at-risk-of-dropping-out/