Working in the Schools (WITS) was founded on the idea that in-person, one-on-one literacy mentorship shapes how K-8th grade Chicago Public Schools (CPS) students feel about school, themselves, and their future. We believe that connecting people from across real and perceived boundaries builds empathy, civic-mindedness, and cultural humility.
The last time CPS students had a full-year of in-person schooling was three years ago. That means the last time a 3rd grade student experienced a full year of a normal learning environment was in kindergarten. A study released in December 2020 by McKinsey & Company indicates that on average students are four months behind in reading due to the pandemic. Additionally, trends show that students of color may be six to twelve months behind by June 2021. We continue to see the impacts of the social and emotional toll that the pandemic has had on our school communities, and we are here to help.
The challenges of the past year have motivated the WITS staff to find innovative ways of maintaining connections to students and teachers so that our partner schools continue to have the literacy resources they need.
The need is greater now than ever before. This Giving Tuesday, we are asking you to celebrate WITS’ 30th Anniversary by donating in honor of WITS 30 years of literacy programming in CPS. Your support this year builds on our 30-year journey to becoming a meaningful part of our student’s growth as informed, engaged, and passionate learners. Your gift puts students on a trajectory for success for the next 30 years. We got here together. And together, we are going to continue to do all that we can for the students of Chicago.
