Started in 2005, Mid-Day Mentoring is a year-long literacy mentorship program for second and fourth grade Chicago Public Schools (CPS) students. Once a week, mentors are transported from their workplaces to a neighborhood school where they meet with their student each week for forty-five minutes, enjoying shared reading, conversation, and relationship building activities.
WHY MID-DAY MENTORING IS IMPORTANT
84% of students agreed that participating in WITS made them want to read for fun more often. Reading for fun leads to more reading engagement and better reading comprehension.
100% of our partner teachers are satisfied with student participation in WITS. Teachers value that our programs promote a love of reading and support social-emotional development in students.
OUR OUTCOMES
TODAY ONLY 28% OF CPS FOURTH GRADERS ARE PROFICIENT READERS, IN 2019 THAT NUMBER WAS 40%.
64% of WITS students met or exceeded the national average for reading level growth in one year.
At the end of the school year 83% of WITS students said they like reading books for fun, up from 65% at the beginning of the year.
93% of WITS students reported feeling good or very good about spending time with their mentors
100% of our partner teachers are satisfied with student participation in WITS.
GET INVOLVED
program facilitators
Jessica Gilliam
Program Coordinator
Kandace Mack
Program Coordinator
Tra'Lisha Renteria
Program Specialist
Estefania Rodriguez
Program Coordinator
