Precious Hutton is one of three new program coordinators at WITS and joined the staff in November 2021. Read on to learn more about Precious, why she enjoys working with … Read More
Meet Elena
Elena Medeiros is one of three new program coordinators at WITS who joined the staff in November 2021. Read on to learn more about Elena, why the Kiki Strike series … Read More
Native American Heritage Month
November is National Native American Heritage Month. The Library of Congress site is a great starting point for finding virtual events, online art exhibitions, and classroom resources. Native American Heritage … Read More
WITS began in a single classroom in 1991
WITS began in a single classroom. When founders, Joanne Alter and Marion Stone, asked a neighborhood educator what they could do to most benefit her students, the answer was simple: … Read More
Rochelle Lee Teacher Award (RLTA) Summer Institute 2021
As Chicago Public School (CPS) teachers were planning and preparing lessons for the fall, Rochelle Lee Teacher Awardees (RLTA) were also improving their own literacy skills by participating in the … Read More
What Our Students Need Is Us
Chicago Public Schools (CPS), the third largest school district in the country, is just about one month into the 2021 – 2022 school year. Students have returned to classrooms after … Read More
Social Justice in the Classroom: How Teachers Inspire Students to be Heroes
Ask teachers to describe the impact they hope to have on their students, and most will say something along these lines: I want my students to grow into responsible citizens. … Read More
Windows, Mirrors, and Sliding Glass Doors
At WITS, we believe it is important that books celebrate the histories, experiences, and everyday life of the students we serve, the city we live in, and the world we … Read More
The Virtual Program Year
The 2020-2021 WITS Virtual Program year brought together students and volunteers for shared reading, mentorship, and community building. These are the staples of a traditional WITS program! Each week, students … Read More
Beyond Good Intentions: Diversity in Kid Lit
The WITS Team recently came together to do a deep dive into diverse kids’ books: learning about recent movements in kid lit, discussing where we missed seeing our own identities … Read More
