We’re officially back in-person with our students! Before we transition into our WITS programs beginning this fall, we want to recognize our in-person program this past summer, WITS Early Childhood Summer program. If you’d like to learn more about the Early Childhood Summer Program, you can read more here.
That brings us to excitedly announce that we move forward with our school year student literacy mentorship programs this fall, which are also in-person! WITS is elated to be back in our partner schools for WITS Kindergarten, Mid-Day Mentoring, and Workplace Mentoring in our corporate-partner offices.
WITS Kindergarten Program
Starting off with the youngest demographic we serve, WITS Kindergarten’s program focuses primarily on kindergarten students who read with our community mentors. In some cases, a corporate partner works with WITS Kindergarten.
This program for five and six-year-olds is a weekly enrichment program that supports students as they enter elementary school, introducing them to foundational literacy skills while simultaneously fostering a love for reading. During program, students spend fifteen to twenty minutes reading one-on-one with their assigned mentor as they practice, and hone skills, all while enjoying the magic of stories. Equally as important, WITSK helps students build book and print awareness, letter name and sound recognition, and helps shape an overall positive attitude toward school-based learning. This year, we have six confirmed WITS Kindergarten programs.
Mid-Day Mentoring Program
Our next in-person school year program is our Mid-Day Mentoring program, which caters to our third grade students. Similar to our WITSK program, MDM pairs students with mentors from corporate groups who provide one-on-one support for students as they transition from learning how to read, to reading to learn. In this particular program, corporate mentors are bussed from their workplaces to a neighborhood school where they meet with the same student each week for forty-five minutes where they enjoy shared reading, conversation, and community-building activities. We are proud to say we have ten Mid-Day Mentoring programs confirmed with sixteen corporate partners this school year.
Workplace Mentoring Program
Finally, our last in-person mentorship program is the Workplace Mentoring program. Opposite of our prior programs, this one buses our fourth to eighth-grade students to their respective mentor’s workplace. For an hour, mentors assist students with reading, homework help, and build relationships through community-designed activities. For this program, we have thirteen Workplace Mentoring programs with fifteen confirmed corporate partners.
Orientations for our Mid-Day Mentoring and Workplace Mentoring programs are currently taking place now. If you’d wish to sign up for an orientation, you can use this link. Please note that the orientations for WITS Kindergarten will be available soon. We look forward to you becoming part of our community during WITS program this school year!
