WHIZKIDS
Our Mission
WhizKids offers hope for at-risk elementary school children by pairing them with a caring adult to assist them in improving their reading and math skills.
Who Are We
- A literacy and faith-based tutoring and mentoring collaboration involving 75 local churches, 35 local schools, OneCity and CityCURE – one of Cincinnati's most successful urban youth ministries
- 800+ tutor/at-risk student relationships in 35+ public elementary schools throughout the Cincinnati metro area supported by 75+ local churches
- Nationally recognized best-in-class tutoring and mentoring model
What We Do
Trained volunteers from local churches partner with nearby elementary schools by developing relationships with school administrators and teachers and providing one-on-one tutoring (on-site) and mentoring (off-site) with at-risk children
The Need
Reading skills serve as a projectile for a child's life:
- 92% of low-level readers in 3rd grade won't go to college
- 3rd grade reading scores are now actually the basis for forecasting prison capacity
- 80% of the prison population is either low-level or are non-readers
[Source: US Census Data, 2000]
The Impact
Children who are involved with a caring adult are:
- 27% less likely to use alcohol
- 46% less likely to use drugs
- 52% less likely to skip school
- 32% less likely to engage in fighting
[Source: Public/Private Ventures]
The Results
Reading scores improved 25% and Math scores improved 55% vs. non-WhizKids students!
[Source: Whiz Kids research and statistics, 2007]
How It Works
Who Can Tutor?
Tutors enjoy working with kids and are age 16+ who can read and do math at a 3rd grade level
Role Description
Work with at-risk students who need help with reading and math in order to enhance their academic performance, foster personal confidence, and encourage positive experiences with adults
Responsibilities
- Honor weekly tutoring commitment
- Spend time reading and doing math practice and initiate academic activities that encourage developmental progress
- Build positive, caring, consistent relationships
- Pray for your student(s)
Time Commitment
Tutors - One-two hours per week
Mentors - Variable based on personal schedule and needs
Training
WhizKids training utilizes strategies from A Framework for Understanding Poverty, by Dr. Ruby Payne, an overview of the program and the components of tutoring/mentoring
Curriculum
Most WhizKids sites utilize a nationally-based curriculum called "A to Z"
How to Get Started
- Email: whizkids@onecity.org
- Fill out a contact card
- Attend the WhizKids training
- Start meeting with your student!