About Us
WITS is the largest provider of literacy enrichment programming and corporate partnerships in Chicago Public Schools, delivering free programs that support both students and teachers. Every year we:
The WITS Mission
WITS believes that literacy is the foundation on which all other learning develops. Our mission is to empower Chicago elementary students to discover themselves through reading while developing foundational literacy skills. We do this by creating community through literacy-based mentorship, enabling teachers to build diverse classroom libraries, and promoting book ownership at home.
Board of Directors
The WITS Board of Directors ensures that the organization has enough resources to achieve its mission. They donate their expertise and valuable time to grow the organization's mission through strategic oversight and impassioned leadership.
The WITS Team
WITS is a small organization doing big work. The WITS staff builds communities and empowers readers, delivering the WITS mission with tenacity and passion each day.
Associates Board
The WITS Associates Board is a group of young professionals who are dedicated to both volunteering and leadership within WITS. Associate Board members support the strategic direction and mission of WITS through various fundraising activities and engagement with corporate and community sponsors.
School Partners
WITS is the largest provider of literacy enrichment programs in Chicago Public Schools. Each year, WITS partners with over 30 elementary schools in Chicago, offering a comprehensive approach to literacy that enhances reading skills and fosters a love of reading.
Corporate Partners
WITS is the largest activator of corporate partnerships in Chicago Public Schools. Over the last 30 years, WITS has provided corporate engagement opportunities for over 50 Chicago companies through weekly literacy-based mentorship programs. WITS programs are so impactful that 65% of WITS' current corporate partners have partnered with WITS for over 10 years.
Why WITS Programs Matter
WITS provides a holistic literacy approach to empower students through two distinct program areas: Student Mentorship Programs and Book Granting Programs. Both are designed to enhance literacy and foster a love of reading, reaching students directly and indirectly through mentorship, classroom support, and book distribution.
With the help of their mentors, WITS Kindergarten students practice building book and print awareness, including reading left to right and distinguishing between letters and words.
According to data from The Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR), based on testing from Spring 2024, only 31% of elementary school students in Chicago Public Schools are proficient in reading.
By the end of the school year, 71% of WITS students had met or exceeded the national standard for reading level proficiency in their grade level, compared to 39% at the beginning of the school year.
One hundred percent of our partner teachers are satisfied with student participation in WITS. Teachers value that our programs promote a love of reading and support social-emotional development in students.
Our Outcomes
According to data from The Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR), based on testing from Spring 2024, only 31% of elementary school students in Chicago Public Schools are proficient in reading.
