Whiz Kids is working to reduce the opportunity gap for students through one-on-one mentorship and literacy support. We help students learn to read, so they can read to learn.
For over 25 years, our program has focused on serving the whole child: academically, emotionally, spiritually and physically. Whiz Kids is a faith-based, one-on-one volunteer tutoring and mentoring program that cares for students in first through fourth grade, by providing a space for them to be known, loved and nurtured, just as they are. Whiz Kids is caring for students who are reading below grade level, navigating inequitable systems and circumstances, and could benefit most from a mentor relationship with a compassionate adult. During the 2022-2023 school year, we saw Whiz Kids increase their reading scores by an average of 87%.
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THE CHALLENGES
Too many kids are being left behind.
Reading is a fundamental building block of education, but Oklahoma students are struggling:
Child Poverty
While Oklahoma City has seen substantial growth in the past decade, 1 in 3 children are living in poverty or extreme poverty.
Low Literacy Levels
Approximately 88% of fourth grade students in Oklahoma read below proficiency level and percentages are worse in schools in
high-poverty neighborhoods.
OUR ANSWER
We’re here to lift kids up.
We are pro-actively serving students at risk for school failure through one-on-one mentorship and literacy education. We help students learn to read,
so they can read to learn.We help students learn to read,
1000+
Caring Volunteers
From mentors to teachers to coordinators, we enlist the support of over 1,500 volunteers throughout the OKC area.
Serving 850+ Kids
Hundreds of kids are involved in the Whiz Kids program at 35 sites all around Oklahoma City.
Individual Attention
Our mentors make a commitment to read to a child each week in a one-on-one setting as mentors and friends. We are better together.
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“As a federal judge, I send people to prison on a weekly basis. I joined Whiz Kids in hopes of being able to do something to perhaps keep a few young people from that fate. For many children, Whiz Kids is one of the few good influences in their lives.”
David L. Russell, U.S. District Judge
