William Blair’s Jeannie Lewis (left), a WITS mentor, and Stephanie Braming, a WITS board member, accept the corporate partner of the year award on behalf of the firm at WITS’ annual Blackboard Affair. Also pictured is WITS executive board member Patrick Hatton.
William Blair was honored to be presented the corporate partner of the year award by Working in the Schools (WITS), an educational nonprofit that fosters student literacy, at its annual Blackboard Affair fundraiser held on November 5.
The celebration recognized WITS superheroes who fought to support Chicago students over the past few years, a challenging time for the educational community as students, teachers, and parents all struggled with the social and emotional challenges brought on by the pandemic.
Through its community partnerships, WITS supports more than 5,000 students attending Chicago Public Schools in 34 schools through literacy mentorship and teacher professional development courses. For 30 years, WITS has teamed up students and adults to share the joy of reading. William Blair colleagues have actively supported WITS’ Workplace Mentoring Program, working with scholars attending the LEARN Hunter Perkins Academy, a Chicago middle school committed to academic performance for all students.
“This year’s corporate partner of the year, William Blair, exemplifies what it means to be a WITS partner,” said Tena Latona, CEO of WITS. “Since its program started in 2018, William Blair has been one of WITS’ largest corporate partners. Averaging 30 mentors annually, William Blair employees have volunteered more than 4,000 hours with students from LEARN Hunter Perkins.”
Stephanie Braming, who heads William Blair Investment Management and serves on WITS board of directors, accepted the award on behalf of the firm. She thanked WITS for its partnership and dedication to paving the way for students’ success by building literacy skills.
“The WITS mentorship program empowers our colleagues to make a difference in young children’s lives and drives a sense of purpose beyond the work they do at William Blair,” Braming told the gathering. “Thank you for the opportunity to work with these amazing scholars and learn from them.”
William Blair has a long tradition of community engagement, beginning with its founding leaders more than 87 years ago. Today, William Blair employees partner with nonprofits worldwide, helping them strengthen the communities where they live and work through financial support and volunteer time.