Wise Readers to Leaders, Stephen Wise Temple’s flagship literacy outreach program, is celebrating its 11th summer.
On Wednesday, July 20, you will have the chance to ensure that this transformational program continues for decades to come by participating in our annual Rock the Clock fundraiser. Starting at 9 a.m., we aim to raise as much as we can over a 24-hour period, which will then be quadruple matched by our generous donors.
As a special incentive, those who donate $1,200 (the cost of sponsoring a scholar for the summer) or more will be invited to WRTL’s exclusive Annual Event on Sept. 29, featuring a wine tasting with accompanying hors d’oeuvres and silent auction.
If you just can’t wait that long to contribute, you can donate right now by clicking here to help fund the program
Wise Readers to Leaders scholars enjoy their first day on the Wise campus in 2022. (Photo by Ryan Gorcey)
What is Wise Readers to Leaders?
Dedicated to closing the literacy achievement gap, Wise Readers to Leaders serves nearly 500 K-8th grade Title I students annually from the San Fernando Valley, Koreatown, Echo Park, Inglewood, and Watts. 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.
“The kids return to school in the fall with their heads held a little higher and a bounce in their step with confidence in their academic abilities,” said one LAUSD teacher. “I wish all my students could attend a summer program like Readers to Leaders.”
Heading into this summer, WRTL has served over 2,500 students, served over 147,000 nutritious meals, and clocked over 53,000 volunteer hours for Jewish teens, who have the opportunity to engage 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.
“WRTL made me feel connected to tikkun olam because I knew I was giving back to the community by making a direct impact on the scholars and giving them some of the love and attention they need to thrive,” said one teen volunteer. “I noticed that my Remote Reader has been really opening up to me and sharing about her life, and she told me before this program she hated reading and now she loves it. This made me feel connected to the Jewish community because my grandfather always told me it is my responsibility as a Jew to help others learn and reach their full potential.”
That is just one of a myriad of stories that have come out of WRTL. Each summer, nearly 150 teens volunteer as JLLs, and many go on to volunteer year-round as Remote Readers and Mentors. While initially the program drew its teen volunteers from the Jewish community, many WRTL alumni now go on to become Junior Literacy Leaders themselves.
“The program teaches our kids independence, responsibility and respect for others,” said one WRTL scholar parent. “I know this program will open possibilities for my child’s future because the teachers are such great role models and are so diverse.”
Wise Readers to Leaders took a trip to Castle Park for some mini golf on June 29, 2022.
Why donate?
This year, WRTL students need your support perhaps more than ever. COVID drastically impacted the school year and students’ psychological health, resulting in lower levels of learning for students across the nation. Those losses were felt even more keenly in the under-resourced communities WRTL serves. With WRTL’s program, students make huge gains in their reading ability and self-confidence.
“The Literacy Leaders, Junior Literacy Leaders, the Site Coordinator, and others have encouraged me to be myself,” said one student. “I really enjoy Wise Readers to Leaders as a whole, how they inspire kids to read, and encourage other kids to be happy, and to jump up and down, doing cheers and chants.”
The summer program includes two hours of morning literacy work through age-appropriate, culturally-relevant, and fun lessons that engage young scholars. Each afternoon, they participate in 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 provides its scholars with a nutritious breakfast, lunch, and snack every day, and helps them 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. 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).