WITS Summer Books

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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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WITS Summer Books Celebration

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Thank you for joining us at this year's WITS Summer Books Celebration at Parson’s Chicken & Fish in Lincoln Park! If you have questions about the event, please contact Jocelyn Tenoria at jocelyn@witschicago.org.

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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 2025, only 41% of students in Chicago Public Schools are proficient in reading.

62%
By year’s end, 62% of WITS students read at or above grade-level, nearly double the rate of 37% for all students at WITS schools.
80%
80% of WITS-K teachers reported their students had developed specialized reading interests throughout the year, an increase of more than 44% from the beginning of the 2024-25 school year.​
91%
91% of WITS students reported having positive attitudes towards reading at the end of the 2024-25 school year, up from 73% at the beginning of the year.
94%
At the end of the 2024-25 school year, an across-program average of 94% 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: 160 N Franklin St, Ste 201, Chicago, IL 60606.