USE YOUR WITS®

WITS reduces discrimination and bullying

WITS® programs work in schools to teach children strategies that promote kindness and reduce victimization including bullying. Employing a whole-school-whole-community approach, WITS & LEADS (DIRE & MENTOR in French) involve schools, families and community members and are adaptable to Indigenous contexts.

Most WITS programs are literature-based and are offered to schools K-5/6/7 by subscription. Subscriptions give educators access to program implementation guides, recently published books and WITS lesson plans, educator training, videos and more. School boards, school districts and other educational authorities may contact us to sign up multiple schools and save.

WITS also offers Canadian Kindness Leaders and Pink Shirt Project for youth.

Our Commitments

Starting in schools and affecting entire communities, we are committed to creating safe, inclusive and healthy environments for children and youth. Here are some of the ways we do that:

Canadian Kindness Leaders (ages 8-13) and Pink Shirt Project (ages 12-18) guide youth to conceive of and implement their own projects that support kindness in their school and/or community. Positively empower your youth!

Families can read about WITS in their choice of 12 languages, about the school’s use of WITS and help for using WITS at home. www.witsprogram.ca/families  The WITS  take-home card also links there via its QR code.

The WITS Program is used in dozens of Indigenous community schools. The advice of Indigenous educators and consultants is embedded into WITS. We also encourage program adaptation that will work with unique cultures and needs. WITS subscriptions are free to Indigenous schools.

WITS commitment to Indigenous communities and reconciliation.

Addressing school violence and victimization is essential in order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular SDG 4, which aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all, and SDG 16, which aims to promote peaceful and inclusive societies.

PUT YOUR SCHOOL ON THE MAP!

Empowering kids across Canada and beyond

WITS Programs have been delivered in more than 1500 schools in every province and territory in Canada, with a few outside of Canada. We are committed to ensuring every child has a safe, supportive community in which to grow and thrive.

Click through to our map to see if your community is represented:

STAY UP-TO-DATE WITH WITS®

What’s New at WITS

Ask Peter and Pamphinette

Send in your questions to special guests of the WITS Pink Shirt Day Live national broadcast: beloved author & illustrator, Peter H. Reynolds and Canadian rugby star, Pamphinette Buisa! Special guests, Pamphinette Buisa and Peter H Reynolds…

Funding for Vancouver Island Schools

Attention elementary schools on Vancouver Island! If you don't already run WITS programs at your school, now would be a good time to start! Country Grocer has kindly offered to support new WITS programs in three Vancouver Island schools,…

Register for Pink Shirt Day Canada!

It's that time of year again! Pink Shirt Day is coming: February 26! Remember last year when you found out about Pink Shirt Day Canada (after it happened) and that thousands of students from all across Canada participated in…

2025 Pink Shirt Design Released

Order your 2025 Pink Shirts today! This year’s One Heart, One Mind pink T-Shirt was designed by Kadence Lánahmats George, a 13-year old artist from Səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation). Kilila (Butterflies) hold deep cultural significance…

JOIN SCHOOLS ACROSS CANADA

WITS Programs Continue to Grow

1,600

WITS Programs schools worldwide

21,000

Educators and Community
Leaders trained in WITS
Programs

50

Books on the WITS Pick
or WITS Recommended
book lists

WITS®

CORE Programs

An evidence-based Social Emotional Learning program, the easy-to-teach WITS strategies have been proven effective in formal evaluations. In 2016, researchers at Dalhousie University determined WITS to be the best school program of its kind in Canada. The WITS Programs are trusted by over 1500 schools worldwide.

image icon

WITS – Canada’s Bullying Prevention Program

The WITS strategies provide children with simple, memorable tools to manage peer victimization. Using curated children’s books,  cross-curriculum lessons, and other engaging content, educators find that 1) WITS is easy to implement, 2) provides the school with a common language, and 3) is effective in reducing peer victimization.

Learn More

image icon

The WITS LEADS Program

LEADS, an extension of WITS, provides students in Grades 4 through 6/7 (ages flexible) with strategies that empower kids to resolve conflicts and model good behaviour. Like WITS, LEADS is literature-based with dynamic activities that may be integrated throughout a variety of subject areas.

Learn More