What are the WITS Programs?
The WITS strategies help kids manage conflict and victimization, like discrimination and bullying. The WITS Programs involve schools, families and their communities to create environments that help elementary school children. There are two English components: WITS, for students aged 4 to 8/9; and WITS LEADS for students aged 9 to 11/12 (DIRE and MENTOR in French). Each include a range of resources, including carefully selected books with accompanying lesson plans, that are designed to achieve social emotional learning objectives. WITS is proven to be effective using its whole school approach that involves the community.
The WITS strategies are easy for anyone to learn, and create a common language easily adopted by the entire community. The WITS Programs offer flexible delivery, cover many SEL curriculum requirements, and merge well with other programs. Key participants are Community leaders, who may be Elders, high level athletes, first responders, or anyone trustworthy and of prominence in the community. They help with assemblies and visit schools throughout the year. WITS also provides tools for family discussions about the strategies. Contact us to learn more.
How can I learn how to implement the WITS programs?
School personnel learn to deliver the WITS Programs via our Resource Guide, 8-step Implementation Guidelines, and Educator Training.
The detailed Resource Guide is included in the WITS & LEADS Core Modules. The quick reference 8-step Implementation Guidelines are included in every Classroom Module.
For training, there are three options: self-paced online (comes with the school’s subscription), live remote, and live in-person. Our self-paced online training, combined with our resource guide and implementation guidelines, provides educators with all the information they need to successfully implement the WITS Programs.
For more in-depth training, live training is led by an experienced WITS educator. Its content includes much more about classroom use, involving the wider community, and provides school personnel with the option to ask questions and receive feedback. To book live training, contact us.
How do I subscribe?
Get your school’s subscription by following these steps:
Go to My Account, register your personal account with WITS, and connect it to a school by entering your school’s phone number. Most schools are already in our system. All users must link to a school.
The WITS Team will reviews subscription requests and approves these accounts. Once payment is confirmed, you and your team can access to subscriber resources under the Educators tab.
What is included in my subscription?
- Access to the WITS store where you can buy the new (as of 2022) program start-up materials and/or materials to keep your WITS program fresh.
- Book list of the latest WITS Picks books that relate to WITS strategies.
- NEW WITS Recommends book list, on topics of diversity & inclusion, social and emotional learning, SOGI, and Indigenous people.
- Lesson plans (in .pdf) for WITS Picks books and WITS Recommends books.
- online Educator Training and Community Leader Training, modern version
- NEW Program videos (to help teach the WITS strategies & related skills)
- Discounts on WITS special events like our national Pink Shirt Day broadcast
- NEW WITS Programs window stickers
- Support from WITS staff
See here.
Has my school paid for a subscription?
If you don’t see the option to pay for a subscription in your My Account, then a subscription has already been purchased by your school.
How does the WITS subscription process work?
- A school’s primary contact person creates their account, and links it to your school (or in rare cases, the school district / education authority) via My Account.
- WITS Programs Foundation reviews and approves (after payment) subscription requests.
- School personnel each create a WITS account (via My Account) linked to your school.
- The school’s primary contact approves these school personnel accounts.
- After approval, school personnel can access subscriber resources via the Educator tab.
My school paid for a subscription, and I registered my account. How do I access subscriber resources?
You may be awaiting approval by your school administration. School administrators or primary contact persons must approve each school user. If you are unsure who your school’s primary contact person (for the WITS program) is, contact us.
How do I order a new WITS / DIRE program?
The all-new WITS Program includes a Subscription, Classroom Modules for each classroom, and a Core Module. For more information, see Starting the WITS Programs here.
Our teachers are already trained, and we have some materials. Why do we need to subscribe?
Subscriptions give you access to all new and updated program materials, as well as the benefits noted above. Subscriptions also encourage correct program use, which supports program effectiveness. Also, your school will be considered a WITS school by the WITS Programs Foundation and located on the WITS map!
Some program materials used to be downloadable free and anonymously; why is a subscription required now?
This change was necessary for several reasons:
- Previously, we provided elements free without guidance, which did not encourage program effectiveness.
- We can no longer afford to provide free resources to everyone; if WITS is more sustainable, we can help more children.
- Knowing all program users also helps us encourage effective program use.
- Subscriptions help fund continuous improvement: in 2022 we refreshed all our program materials considering design, accessibility, diversity and inclusion.
Do we get a discount for subscribing for multiple years?
Yes. If your school buys a 3-year subscription, you save $195
I can find the materials free online elsewhere, why should I pay for a subscription?
Please let us know if you encounter this. Outside of your school only, if someone other than
We started WITS within the past few years
All you need is a school subscription. As of 2022, the formerly free resources are now subscriber-accessed:
- Lesson Plans
- Support from WITS staff
- Book lists
- the WITS store
Plus in 2022 we introduced:
- New Videos to help teach the WITS strategies and Whole Body Listening
- Completely revised educator/teacher training
- All new WITS educational items
- School window stickers
We already have 90% of what we need…
Great! To access online resources and to be considered a WITS school, a subscription is required. Subscribe here
And if you would like a refresh, the 2022 WITS materials are all new!
We consider ourselves to be a WITS school and we have much of the material, we don’t need an entirely new set of resources, only the new books.
Then you may not need new classroom modules, just the subscription and the new CORE module, which includes new books with lesson plans and WITS 2.0 elements for common areas.
We are introducing new elements:
- Videos to help teach the WITS strategies and Whole Body Listening
- Completely revised educator/teacher training
- WITS Recommends books to support other SEL topics
- Updated lesson plans for all our books
- Updated WITS Resource Guide
- And more!
I’m working with a school as a Community Leader. We want to start a program in their school – do we both need a subscription?
All WITS schools need a subscription. School subscriptions are one per school.
Community Leader subscriptions are free. Community Leaders can be added as part of a school. See Community Leader guidelines here.
I just want to take the training myself, not pay for a subscription.
WITS is a whole school / whole community approach – it is far more effective if all personnel in the school are involved. In your case, we suggest the school subscribes, then all school personnel can take the training. We suggest groups of educators take the training together so you can discuss program implementation and strategies.
We are a small school and can’t afford the listed start-up costs
We want to make this work for you. We ask that you:
- Determine what you can afford to pay
- Determine if funds are available from your school district/board and parent’s advisory group
- Please let us know
- what grades will be using the WITS Programs,
- how many students are registered in your school,
- how many classes & the average number of students per class, and
- the number of teachers that will be participating in the program.
Also, subsidies are available in some cases – contact us for more information.
