WITS Book Ownership Programs

WITS's main literacy programs fall into two key areas: Student Mentorship Programs and Book Ownership Programs.

Each year, our Book Ownership programs provide more than 10,000 new, high-quality, diverse books to students and teachers. Research shows that access to books directly improves literacy outcomes, and WITS ensures that classrooms and home libraries are stocked with the resources students need to read and thrive.

Why WITS Book Ownership Programs Matter

According to the Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), students who have robust classroom libraries are more likely to be frequent readers.

Functioning libraries are found in only 18% of Chicago public elementary schools.

Sixty-one percent of low-income families have no age-appropriate children’s books at home. In a school district where 71% of students are from low-income families, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) students need books for their home libraries.

WITS ON THE WEEKEND

STEAM at work

WITS on the Weekend (WoW) is a team-based reading and mentoring program that takes place for two hours on Saturday mornings from October to May. 3rd through 6th grade students meet their volunteer mentors at school to engage in team-building activities, recreational reading, and cooperative learning challenges focused on science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM) concepts. No previous STEAM experience is necessary. WoW volunteers commit to 16 select Saturdays from October-May, 10:00am-12:00pm.

apply to volunteer

WITS Summer Books

WITS Summer Books (WSB) provides students with high-interest, culturally diverse and relevant books at the end of the school year, bolstering their home libraries and helping prevent summer learning loss.

The Rochelle Lee Teacher Award

The Rochelle Lee Teacher Award (RLTA) is a $500 book grant. This award helps teachers further curate their classroom libraries to meet the needs and interests of their students.