WITS empowers Chicago elementary students to discover themselves through reading while developing foundational literacy skills. One of the ways we do this is by creating community through literacy-based mentorship student programs.

Why WITS Student Programs Matter

Our Student Mentorship Programs create meaningful relationships between mentors and students to improve literacy skills and build students’ confidence in reading. These programs foster academic growth while addressing the broader social and emotional needs of students.

Instead of offering one-off opportunities for volunteers, WITS mentors commit to weekly or bi-weekly participation, meeting one-on-one with the same student from October through May. During WITS sessions, students and mentors select books from curated selections of high-interest, culturally relevant texts to read aloud. WITS mentors develop foundational literacy skills, and encourage social-emotional development.

How well a student engages in back-and-forth communication is a strong predictor of whether a kindergarten student will meet first grade literacy targets.

With the help of their mentors, WITS Kindergarten students practice building book and print awareness, including reading left to right and distinguishing between letters and words.

According to data from The Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR), based on testing from Spring 2024, only 31% of elementary school students in Chicago Public Schools are proficient in reading.

71%

By the end of the school year, 71% of WITS students had met or exceeded the national standard for reading level proficiency in their grade level, compared to 39% at the beginning of the school year.

New research emphasizes the need for resources and programs that support students’ emotional well-being, which plays a critical role in their academic success.

100%

One hundred percent 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.

WITS ON THE WEEKEND

STEAM at work

WITS on the Weekend (WoW) is a team-based reading and mentoring program that takes place for two hours on Saturday mornings from October to May. 3rd through 6th grade students meet their volunteer mentors at school to engage in team-building activities, recreational reading, and cooperative learning challenges focused on science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM) concepts. No previous STEAM experience is necessary. WoW volunteers commit to 16 select Saturdays from October-May, 10:00am-12:00pm.

apply to volunteer

WITS Mid-Day Mentoring

Mid-Day Mentoring (MDM) is a school-day literacy and mentoring program that pairs second through third-grade elementary school students and corporate mentors for one-on-one, 45-minute reading sessions. Mentors are transported from their workplaces to neighborhood schools. MDM promotes foundational literacy skills and a love of reading by reading aloud, sharing stories, and talking about books.

The Rochelle Lee Teacher Award

Named in honor of Rochelle Lee, a beloved Chicago Public School (CPS) educator and librarian who inspired generations of students to develop a passion for reading, the Rochelle Lee Teacher Award (RLTA) recognizes CPS teachers who share her commitment to cultivating lifelong learners. This competitive, essay-based application process is open to CPS teachers across all subject areas, from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. Awardees are selected in June and receive a $500 grant to purchase brand-new books for their classroom libraries, ensuring students have access to diverse and engaging reading materials throughout the school year.

WITS Kindergarten

WITS Kindergarten is a one-on-one reading program that takes place at Chicago public elementary schools. Kindergarten students read with a consistent mentor each week, which allows mentors and students to establish a consistent reading rapport and build book print awareness and early literacy skills over the school year.

WITS Workplace Mentoring

Workplace Mentoring is an after-school program that provides for fourth through sixth-grade students to be transported by bus to corporate offices where they are matched with employees for one-on-one, 60-minute mentoring sessions. Mentors and students engage in shared reading and homework support.

Our Outcomes

According to data from The Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR), based on testing from Spring 2024, only 31% of elementary school students in Chicago Public Schools are proficient in reading.

71%

By the end of the school year, 71% of WITS students had met or exceeded the national standard for reading level proficiency in their grade level, compared to 39% at the beginning of the school year.

75%

Seventy-five percent of WITS Kindergarten teachers reported that their students had developed specialized reading interests throughout the year, an increase of more than 30% from the beginning of the year.

84%

Eighty-four percent of WITS students reported that they liked reading books for fun at the end of the school year, up from 68% at the beginning of the school year.

90%

At the end of the school year, an average of 90% of WITS students reported feeling good or very good about spending time with their mentors.

Get Involved

Support WITS programs with a donation.

Become a program partner.

Learn more about the WITS Mission & Outcomes