About The WHIT Program
Children in foster care start out behind. We want to catch them up.
The inspiration behind WHIT
In memory of Whitney Thompson
The WHIT Program is named for Whitney Thompson, the late daughter of program founder Jennifer Lisson. Whitney inspired others with her love of people and her caring for the less fortunate. It’s in her memory that The WHIT Program was established.
WHIT also stands for what we do: Weekly Hands-on Independent Tutoring.
Why WHIT matters
Children in foster care start out behind. We catch them up.
Children in foster care have the lowest high school graduation rate of any group tracked by the state of Texas. Lower than low-income children, lower than immigrant learners, lower even than homeless children. We at The WHIT Program aim to change that.
The goal of The WHIT Program is to help children in foster care get up to speed with school. Our tutors help children succeed in math and reading and bring them up to grade level.
Our program
How The WHIT Program works
Volunteer university students are prepared, screened and matched with children in foster care who need academic support.
Volunteer
We take volunteer university students who want to make a difference in the life of a child in foster care.
Train
Volunteers are trained in tutoring, confidentiality, and spotting abuse and neglect.
Screen and match
After a background check, we match the volunteer tutor with a child in foster care who is behind in school.
Tutor weekly
Our tutors meet weekly with their student until the student reaches grade level.
Our program is free.
WHIT tutoring costs nothing for children in foster care and their families.
Privately funded.
We take no tax money. We’re supported entirely by private donations.
Join us
Get involved
There are several ways to help The WHIT Program serve children in foster care.
Help a child in foster care catch up
Refer a student, give one hour a week as a tutor, or make free tutoring possible with a gift.