WITS Summer Books

WITS Summer Books is an initiative that brings the WITS community together to raise funds that provide books for students' at-home libraries, teachers' classroom libraries, and WITS programs. Teams of WITS supporters unite to raise money for a Chicago elementary school.

Join a team today and be part of fostering a love of reading for Chicago students!

Why WITS Summer Books Matters

Sixty-one percent of low-income families have no age-appropriate children’s books at home. In a school district where 71% of students are from low-income families, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) students need books for their home libraries.

Functioning libraries are found in only 18% of Chicago public elementary schools.

According to the National Education Association (NEA), teachers typically spend between $500 and $750 of their own money on classroom supplies each year, which includes books.

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Create Your Own Team

How to Fundraise for WITS Summer Books

Join a Team

WITS Summer Books Celebration

Join us for a WITS Summer Books Celebration at Parson’s Chicken & Fish in Lincoln Park! Enjoy delicious food, fun raffle prizes, and great company as we come together to support literacy.

This event is free, and 10% of all food and drink purchases will help WITS provide books for students’ home libraries, classroom libraries, and literacy programs across Chicago.

Register to attend below.

Parson's Chicken & Fish - Lincoln Park

2435 N Halsted St
Chicago, IL
60614

Wednesday, June 18

5 pm - 8 pm

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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.

Make a Donation

For check donations, please make payable to WITS and send to the following address: Working in the Schools: 150 N Wacker Dr Ste 1120 Chicago, IL 60606

$50

sends one student home with their own set of brand-new age appropriate, high-interest, culturally relevant books.

$100

funds our mission at WITS: we believe that literacy is the foundation on which all other learning develops.

$250

adds books to the WITS Program Library so students can read high-interest books all school year.

$500

builds a classroom library for a teacher.

$1,000

provides an entire classroom of students with books to take home for the summer.

$2,500

funds our new evaluation initiative to better understand our impact.

$5,000

supports students in our WITS Kindergarten programs.