Working In The Schools

TO EMPOWER CHICAGO ELEMENTARY STUDENTS TO DISCOVER THEMSELVES THROUGH READING WHILE DEVELOPING FOUNDATIONAL LITERACY SKILLS.

ROCHELLE LEE TEACHER AWARD: THE ROCHELLE LEE TEACHER AWARD (RLTA) IS NAMED IN HONOR OF ROCHELLE LEE, CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS (CPS) EDUCATOR AND LIBRARIAN WHO INSPIRED GENERATIONS OF STUDENTS TO BE IMPASSIONED READERS. ROCHELLE LEE TEACHER AWARDEES ARE CPS TEACHERS THAT EMBODY THE SAME DRIVE AS ROCHELLE LEE TO DEVELOP THEIR STUDENTS INTO PEOPLE WHO WILL FOSTER A LIFE-LONG RELATIONSHIP TO LEARNING AND READING. THE COMPETITIVE ESSAY-BASED APPLICATION PROCESS DRAWS CPS TEACHER APPLICANTS ACROSS SUBJECT MATTERS IN GRADES PRE-KINDERGARTEN THROUGH EIGHTH. TEACHERS APPLY EITHER AS A POTENTIAL INDIVIDUAL AWARDEE OR PART OF A STUDY GROUP. TEACHERS MAY BE SELECTED TO PARTICIPATE IN RLTA FOR A MAXIMUM OF FOUR YEARS. THE FIRST TWO YEARS CAN BE AS AN INDIVIDUAL PARTICIPANT; THE LAST TWO MUST BE AS A MEMBER OF A STUDY GROUP. TEACHERS ATTEND SELF-SELECTED LITERACY WORKSHOPS DURING WITS' SUMMER INSTITUTE AND RECEIVE ACCREDITED CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT HOURS FOR EACH COMPLETED WORKSHOP. ONCE TEACHERS COMPLETE THE REQUIRED NUMBER OF WORKSHOP HOURS, THEY ARE AWARDED BOOK GRANTS TO PURCHASE NEW BOOKS FOR THEIR CLASSROOM LIBRARIES.

WITS KINDERGARTEN: THE WITS KINDERGARTEN ("WITSK") PROGRAM IS A ONE-ON-ONE READING PROGRAM THAT TAKES PLACE AT CHICAGO PUBLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS ("CPS"). KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS READ WITH A CONSISTENT VOLUNTEER EACH WEEK, WHICH ALLOWS VOLUNTEERS AND CHILDREN TO ESTABLISH A CONSISTENT READING RAPPORT AND BUILD BOOK PRINT AWARENESS, AS WELL AS EARLY LITERACY SKILLS, OVER THE COURSE OF THE SCHOOL YEAR.WITSUMMER EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAM: WITSUMMER EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAM IS A FIVE WEEK INTENSIVE CLASSROOM PROGRAM FOR PRE-K STUDENTS GOING INTO KINDERGARTEN. STUDENTS ATTEND THE PROGRAM FOUR DAYS A WEEK FOR TWO AND HALF HOURS. THE PROGRAM AIMS TO PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH A HEAD-START ON THE BASICS OF LITERACY DEVELOPMENT AS THEY TRANSITION INTO KINDERGARTEN IN THE FALL. WITS CREATED AND USES A CURRICULUM FOCUSED ON EXPLORING FOLK TALES THROUGH ENGAGING READ-ALOUDS AND ACTIVITIES. WITS PARTNER TEACHERS SERVE AS "LEAD TEACHERS" THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER AND BRING THEIR EXPERTISE TO PROVIDE INSTRUCTION AS WELL AS REINFORCE CLASSROOM CULTURE THAT STUDENTS ARE EXPECTED TO KNOW UPON ENTERING KINDERGARTEN.

MID-DAY MENTORING: MID-DAY MENTORING IS A SCHOOL DAY LITERACY AND MENTORING PROGRAM THAT PAIRS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS AND BUSINESS VOLUNTEERS FOR ONE-ON-ONE, 45 MINUTE READING SESSIONS. MID-DAY MENTORING PROMOTES FOUNDATIONAL LITERACY SKILLS AND LOVE OF READING THROUGH READING ALOUD, SHARING FAVORITE STORIES, AND TALKING ABOUT BOOKS.

WORKPLACE MENTORING: WORKPLACE MENTORING IS AN AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAM THAT PROVIDES FOR THIRD 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.