Started in 1999, Workplace Mentoring is a year-long literacy mentorship program for fourth - eighth grade Chicago Public Schools (CPS) students. Once a week after school, students are transported to a corporate office to meet one-on-one with their mentor for shared reading and homework support.
WHY WORKPLACE MENTORING IS IMPORTANT
Ninety percent of WITS Workplace Mentoring (WPM) students agreed that they were more open to reading new types of books after participating in the WPM program year.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
program facilitators
Jessica Gilliam
Program Coordinator
Jackson May
Marketing Coordinator
Tra'Lisha Renteria
Program Specialist
Estefania Rodriguez
Program Coordinator
