Last week, Wise Readers to Leaders — Stephen Wise Temple’s flagship literacy program — held its annual Rock the Clock fundraiser, a 24-hour campaign to raise $60,000 to help fund the program. Our Wise community rose to the challenge, smashing that goal by raising $76,908.
“Thanks to the generosity of our community, we not only met, but surpassed our fundraising goals during our Annual our Rock the Clock campaign, raising $75,000 in only 24 hours!” said WRTL co-founder Andrea Sonnenberg. “Because of your commitment, our scholars will be able to continue their supplemental learning through our state-of-the-art year-round literacy classes and special events. Additionally, these funds will support our diversity and inclusion workshops for both our teen volunteers (Tikkun Olam Corps) and our scholar community. We are grateful to all of you who help make this sacred work a reality.”
Wise Readers to Leaders enjoy a mini-golf field trip to Castle Park in Sherman Oaks in the summer of 2022.
Wise Readers to Leaders is dedicated to closing the literary achievement gap for nearly 500 K-8th grade Title 1 students annually. The program provides free year-round and summer programming focused on developing reading skills, instilling a love of learning, and building self-confidence that ultimately enables its scholars to achieve their dreams.
Over its first 10 summers, WRTL served over 2,500 students from the San Fernando Valley, Koreatown, Echo Park, Inglewood, and Watts in a camp-like atmosphere. Not only do Wise Readers to Leaders participants benefit from engaging, age-appropriate, culturally-relevant, and fun lesson, but their nutrition needs are provided for, as well: In the last 10 years, Wise Readers to Leaders has provided over 147,000 nutritious meals, including breakfast, lunch, and snack every day.
During the summer program, scholars engage in two hours of morning literacy work, followed by two hours of camp-style activities, including sports, science experiments, music, art, and field trips to places like the California Science Center, Underwood Family Farms, and the Museum of Tolerance. WRTL helps its scholars practice mindfulness with group meditation, intentional breathing, and access to counseling through the Maple Counseling Center.
While the summer program is at the core of WRTL’s mission, the year-round program allows teen volunteers to stay connected with their scholars throughout the school year, and features remote reading, math tutoring, and STEAM classes to build on their summer growth.
Jewish teens who staff WRTL have clocked over 53,000 volunteer hours working for the program, engaging with students from diverse cultures and backgrounds as the program’s teaching assistants. These Junior Literacy Leaders (JLLs) assist WRTL’s Literacy Leaders (college-age teachers) in the classrooms as well as with the overall program, helping with reading time, and assisting with afternoon camp-like activities. As time has gone on, many WRTL alumni have gone on to become JLLs, as well, giving back to the program that has become a gateway for higher academic achievement.
Initially operating only at Stephen Wise Temple with 50 scholars, WRTL is continually evolving. It has grown to five campuses throughout Los Angeles, is proud to be partnering with the Children’s Institute this year at three of those sites, and is celebrating the addition of a new College Access Program in partnership with the Fulfillment Fund, the brainchild of Wise member Dr. Gary Gitnick (z”l).