For over 30 years, WITS has been the largest provider of in-school and after-school literacy-based mentorship programs in Chicago Public Schools (CPS).
You have made this possible.
We have been 100% funded by you since 1991.
Your continued investment allows us to provide programming at no cost to the schools, teachers, and students we serve. This financial independence ensures that WITS remains a consistent and reliable partner, even in times of fiscal uncertainty.
Together, we believe that reading is the foundation of all learning. To date, we have built that foundation for 78,000 students.
As 2025 approaches, it marks the culmination of WITS' most ambitious strategic plan since our founding in 1991. This plan has laid the groundwork for WITS to continue its mission to empower Chicago elementary students to discover themselves through reading while developing foundational literacy skills.
As we enter our fourth decade of serving CPS, we aim to:
Double the number of students we serve in our Kindergarten through fourth-grade programs. We focus on these critical developmental ages to help students build resilience, curiosity, grit, and confidence in forming peer and adult relationships, setting them on a path to lifelong success.
- Your support is needed to meaningfully impact students’ reading development in a district where only 31% of students are proficient readers.
Increase the number of classroom libraries we grant teachers across CPS from 100 to 300 by 2028. WITS classroom libraries significantly increase access to diverse books across grade levels and ensure students can read stories that reflect their lives.
- Your support is needed in a district where fewer than 10% of CPS elementary schools have a full-time staffed library.
Turn 10,000 books into 50,000 to substantially increase the number of books students have access to in their homes.
- Your support is needed for students in a district where over 75% are low-income and have significantly fewer age-appropriate books at home than their more resourced peers.
Make a donation today.
For check donations, please make payable to WITS and send to the following address: Working in the Schools: 150 N Wacker Dr Ste 1120 Chicago, IL 60606
