[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 59 (Friday, May 13, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: May 13, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                 WORKING IN THE SCHOOLS [WITS] PROGRAM

                                 ______


                          HON. CARDISS COLLINS

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 12, 1994

  Mrs. COLLINS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 
Working in the Schools (WITS) program in my District in Illinois. It is 
a pleasure to be able to address the House about this program because 
it is successful and is having a positive impact on young people living 
in Chicago Housing Authority developments in my District. By 
recognizing the work of WITS, I hope to increase awareness and interest 
in this program and to increase support for programs like it.
  Founded in 1991, WITS began when Ms. Joanne Alter, Ms. Marion Stone, 
and Ms. Bonnie Nims volunteered as tutors at Richard Byrd Academy, a 
public elementary school that serves residents of the Cabrini Green 
housing development. The program now serves four schools with 70 
volunteers providing more than 13,000 hours of tutoring last year. 
Plans to expand the program to serve children from the Chicago Housing 
Authority's Henry Horner Homes and Robert Taylor Homes are currently 
being planned.
  The children who are tutored each Tuesday and Thursday by WITS 
volunteers are benefitted by personal attention that is often difficult 
to receive in Chicago's public school's overcrowded classrooms. This 
critically important personal attention provides not only help for 
children struggling to grasp a new concept or subject but it is also a 
significant boost to the children's self-esteem. As the principal of 
Sojourner Truth Elementary School, Ms. Pernecie Pugh, said, ``The 
children in my school are placed in a predicament they have no control 
of. Very few things in their lives are consistent: the consistency of 
the WITs volunteers makes them a ``Special Somebody''. The children 
look forward to Tuesdays and Thursdays. The WITS volunteers not only 
bring their time and energies, but bring a multitude of other talents 
the children need.''
  I commend the WITS program for its success to date and I hope that it 
will continue to assist and enrich my young constiituents in the months 
and years ahead.

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