WITS - Programs

WITS Programs

The Power Lunch and Workplace Mentoring programs are sponsored by businesses and organizations as volunteer opportunities for their employees.

Individual volunteers participate as Early Childhood Volunteers, Classroom Assistants or in the Saturday Program.

Programs for Organizations

Power Lunch
Power Lunch is a lunchtime literacy and mentoring program in which elementary school students are
matched one-to-one with volunteers from companies
and other community organizations. Adult volunteers promote reading for pleasure by reading aloud to the students and by providing positive support and encouragement.

How does Power Lunch operate?

Once a week (or every other week if volunteers alternate), adult volunteers travel to a nearby elementary school, are welcomed by the
school coordinator, and meet their students in
a classroom, school library or other designated
reading area.
The school coordinator notifies the volunteers
in advance if students are absent.
Volunteers commit to Power Lunch for one
school year and are encouraged to continue
year after year.

Workplace Mentoring
Workplace Mentoring is an after school tutoring and mentoring program in which elementary school
students are matched one-to-one with volunteers
from businesses. Adult volunteers promote reading comprehension, fluency and the love of reading by working through Scholastic Reading Lab. The
Scholastic Reading Lab is a goal-oriented, structured
and academically focused reading system that tracks student progress at all levels.

How does Workplace Mentoring operate?

Once a week (or every other week if volunteers alternate), elementary school students travel to business, are welcomed by the program
coordinator, and meet their volunteers in a conference room or another designated tutoring area.
The school coordinator notifies the volunteers
in advance if students are absent.
Volunteers commit to Workplace Mentoring for
one school year and are encouraged to continue
year after year.

Do you want to see how Workplace Mentoring works? Download our short video and see it in action (30 MB).

Click here!

"This is something stories are made of but it is really happening in our class-room. The air is magical and you make it so."

Kathleen Glennon, Harriet Beecher Stowe Teacher

Programs for Individual Volunteers

Early Childhood Volunteer Program
Our newest program, the Early Childhood Volunteer Program, is a literacy program in which individuals volunteer in preschool classrooms with three- and four-year old students. During their visit, volunteers spend twenty minutes of �lap-time� reading aloud with students in a one-on-one arrangement. Volunteers are trained by Erickson Institute staff in a process called �dialogic reading.�

How does the Early Childhood Volunteer Program operate?

Once or twice a week, adult volunteers travel by school bus to Nash Elementary School.
Volunteers are greeted by a school coordinator and meet their students in the designated classroom.
Volunteers commit to the Early Childhood Volunteer Program for one school year and are encouraged to continue year after year.

We have recently expanded the Early Childhood Volunteer Program to include corporate volunteers! Volunteers from LaSalle Bank visit Tilton Elementary School twice a week to read with preschool students. We are excited to be working with La Salle Bank in this ground breaking program!

Classroom Assistants
Classroom assistants, comprised of retirees, homemakers and community members, formed the backbone of the WITS program during its initial years. Classroom assistants are assigned to one teacher/classroom and may choose to tutor and mentor one-on-one with students, in small groups or as a whole classroom.

How does the Classroom Assistants program operate?

Once a week, in 3- or 4-hour sessions, adult volunteers travel to an elementary school and to their designated classroom.
Classroom Assistants are visited at their school throughout the year by a WITS Program Associate.
Volunteers commit for one school year and are encouraged to continue year after year.

Saturday Program
The Saturday Program was launched by the WITS Junior Board in 2003. From January to April volunteers sign up to travel every Saturday (or every other if you alternate with a partner) to Walsh Elementary School. Adult volunteers are matched one-on-one with a student and spend two hours working on reading aloud, reading comprehension, site words and fluency.

How does the Classroom Assistants program operate?

Every Saturday (or every other if you alternate with a partner) from January to April volunteers provide their own transportation to Walsh Elementary School.
Upon arrival volunteers match up with their student and spend two hours working on pre-determined literacy activities.
Volunteers commit for the period from January to April and are encouraged to continue year after year.