Every spring, WITS delivers thousands of books to Chicago Public Schools (CPS) students. This year will be no different. 

While leading virtual programs this year, we have learned the strain that remote learning has put on our students, their families, teachers, and school communities. WITSummer Books is our opportunity to provide a little joy during a time of incredible change. At the end of May, we will help build the at-home libraries for hundreds of WITS students.

By contributing to WITSummer Books, you are helping WITS provide students with curated sets of brand-new, culturally relevant books. Books put learning, adventure, and fun directly in students’ hands even as we continue to connect virtually. 

WITS sets students on a trajectory for success by building critical literacy skills and developing positive self-identity through teacher led professional development and volunteer powered mentorship programs.

WITS creates opportunities for every student in Chicago to be literate.

WITS Study Hall is a collaborative learning space for adult learners to actively participate in antiracist conversation and enjoy the works of writers of color. We will focus not just on antiracist discourse, but celebrate the range of genres and stories by BIPOC authors.

WITS Study Hall will explore one book every two months and is open to all readers. You can sign up to join our virtual meetings, or use this framework to start your own book club. We’ll provide the book selection, discussion questions, and supplemental resources. Whatever your engagement, we hope you join us in this important reading.

WITS is a movement of educators, volunteers and investors coming together to support a better public education for every student.

WITS programs help students develop a love of reading that guides them through the critical transition of learning-to-read to reading-to-learn.

Reading is one of the most commonly and intensively used skills among all types of jobs across the entire U.S. economy.

Third graders who are proficient in reading are four times more likely to graduate than those without proficient reading skills.

WITS is 100% privately funded, and program delivery is not reliant on school or city budgets.

WITS communities of teachers and volunteers model for students the life-enhancing benefits of literacy and a passion for learning.