The Wise Readers to Leaders Teen Board is an opportunity for exemplary Junior Literacy Leaders (JLLs) from our summer program to continue to be engaged in leadership, development, programming, and planning for Wise Readers to Leaders throughout the school year. The Teen Board meets several times during the year to oversee many of the important year-round activities of Wise Readers. This year we have 25 Teen Board Members!

The WRTL Teen Board is divided into five Committees, each with its own unique responsibilities and chairs who lead their committee. In addition to the committee responsibilities, Teen Board Members help plan events and lead Junior Literacy Leader interviews and training.

Layla is a senior at Crossroads High School and the co-chair for the Recruitment Committee. Layla joined Wise Readers to Leaders 4 years ago and loves being apart of the WRTL Teen Board because it allows her to stay connected to scholars during the school year and continues the relationship with the Wise community. At Crossroads School, Layla is the Editor-in-Chief of the school’s yearbook. She also plays soccer, loves to bake, and to hike.

The Recruitment Committee works on recruiting new teen volunteers to become JLL’s (junior literacy leaders) along with other WRTL programs. The recruitment committee acts as a liaison with local high schools in Los Angeles by engaging in community service fairs and clubs.

Abby is co-chair of the Recruitment Committee for the WRTL teen board. She has been part of the Wise Readers to Leaders organization since summer of 2020, when she was a JLL. Abby participated in both the remote reading and math tutoring programs, and has worked with the same scholar for the past 2 years. Overall, she loves volunteering with Wise Readers, and being a tutor has been a deeply gratifying experience!

Kyra is a senior at Harvard Westlake and is a co-chair of the Engagement Committee. She started volunteering at WRTL two years ago and is so excited for this year in the program! She looks forward to seeing and connecting with the scholars each summer and at each event during the school year. She loves WRTL because it allows her to work with scholars one on one and form meaningful connections through the mutual love of reading. Kyra’s absolute favorite part of WRTL is being able to connect with scholars, other JLLs, LLs, and the program chairs. Through her work at WRTL, Kyra has learned the valuable skills of leadership and patience. In her free time, Kyra is the Editor-in-Chief of the Harvard Westlake yearbook and dedicates a lot of her time to that. In addition to her yearbook duties, Kyra loves playing field hockey, pickle ball, and backgammon!

The Scholar Engagement committee aims to keep the scholars involved during the year by sending out personalized birthday cards and reminders of upcoming events. The committee also works with the rest of the board to come up with ideas to keep scholars engaged and excited to read!

Yalli is a junior at Windward school and is co-chair of the Events Committee. Yalli first joined WRTL summer of 2020 as a JLL and remote reader over zoom, and started helping out with the events from the start. She later joined the Teen Ambassadors and founded the STEM program for WRTL. Yalli loves being able to see the kids grow over the years and the connections she has formed with them. At Windward, Yalli participates in dance and loves to do musical theater and computer science!

Sophie is a junior at Windward School and co-chair of the Events Committee. She first joined WRTL during the summer of 2020 as a JLL, then joined the Remote Reading Program, Teen Ambassador Program, and cannot wait to continue on the Teen Board for the second year! Sophie loves WRTL because of all the connections she’s made with scholars, other JLLs, and LLs. Another thing Sophie loves about WRTL is getting to see scholars improve their reading skills and getting to meet them in person at summer camp and events. Outside of WRTL she plays tennis, creates art, and explores her interest in the medical field.

Olivia goes to Brentwood School and is the co-chair of the Fundraising Committee. She has been part of Wise Readers to Leaders for 2 years. During this time she has worked on the Teen Board and volunteered as a JLL at the WRTL Summer Program. She loves Wise Readers to Leaders because of the amazing opportunities it brings to the scholars. She enjoys forming bonds with the scholars and watching them grow academically as the years progress. Some of Olivia’s hobbies are drawing, baking, playing volleyball and playing tennis.

The Fundraising Committee plans and leads seasonal fundraisers to help support our various programs. Previous fundraisers include supply drives, bake sales, and book drives!

Ruby is a senior at Crossroads School, and the co-chair of the Fundraising Committee. She joined WRTL in 2020 as a math tutor, then became a JLL over the summer, and later participated in the remote reading program the following fall. While at WRTL, she created a reading tutoring guide for fellow volunteers, interviewed WRTL program coordinators about the organization, and helped engage and support scholars. Ruby enjoys volunteering at WRTL because reading is a personal passion of hers, and she loves getting to see the scholars progress and successes. In her free time, Ruby likes taking photos, cooking/baking, and walking her dogs.

The Fundraising Committee plans and leads fundraisers to help support our various programs. Fundraisers include supply drives, bake sales, and book drives!