WITS is officially closed for Winter Break and will reopen on January 4, 2022. During the time off, we here at WITS do a lot of reading! We want to … Read More
WITS at 30: Rochelle Lee Teacher Award
Working in the Schools (WITS) began in a single classroom in 1991. The founders’ intent: to provide in-person, one-on-one literacy mentoring to Chicago students. A second similarly-missioned commitment, spearheaded by Librarian … Read More
WITS – The largest provider of literacy programming
WITS began in a single classroom in 1991. Today we are the largest provider of literacy programming to teachers and students in Chicago Public Schools. There was a moment over … 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
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
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
Fiscal Year 2020 in Review
This fiscal year, we did it. That is the headline and the bottom line. It came with some bumps and bruises, a lot of lessons, some new tricks up our … Read More
Juneteenth Community Programs, Teaching Guides, & Anti-Racism Resources
Juneteenth is celebrated annually on June 19, which is the day in 1865 that enslaved people in Galveston, Texas got word that they were free. President Joe Biden signed the … Read More
2020 Annual Report
2020. Where to begin? Where I always do, with our values: Community. Consistency. Empowerment. These are more than words to us at WITS. They are the cornerstones upon which we build all … Read More
