Our Belief + Mission
Despite the curveballs that life circumstances may throw, everyone deserves a chance to reach their full potential.
The Wood Family Foundation facilitates collaborative relationships between school partners and families that provide
support and opportunities to empower students to succeed in middle school, high school, and beyond.
The Wood Family Foundation’s premiere program, Pitch In, is an after-school model that employs high-quality
mentoring relationships and exposure to unique experiences to ensure that our 4th-8th grade students develop the
academic and social-emotional skills, mindsets, and agency necessary to transition to high school successfully.
Beyond the after-school component of our model, Pitch In deeply engages with our partner schools to
improve the culture of the middle grades (4th-8th grade), adding school-day capacity that aligns to principals’
visions for their school communities, providing access to an abundance of resources, and focusing not only on
our students, but also on their families.
We currently serve Humboldt Park and North Lawndale, and aspire to reach Austin, Englewood, and Roseland in the near future.
The Latest Pitch In News!
Restorative Justice in 6th Grade
This month our Pitch In 6th graders are learning about the pillars of restorative justice and solving conflict through discussion. Through videos, special guests breaking down the golden role through an African history lense and
Meet the new Pitch In Crew of 4th Graders!
Pitch In was beyond excited to welcome our new Pitch In 4th graders at the start of the month! In typical Pitch In fashion we have been enjoying You're The MVP where mentors and students
Back To School With New Back Packs!
LCA students were blessed to end their first week back to school with new back packs filled with school supplies thanks to the generosity of Draper and Kramer! This is the second year in a
Behind the Scenes at the Brookfield Zoo
Our last week of the Pitch In summer program was filled with excitement, new activities and our final field trip to the Brookfield Zoo! Throughout the week students made their own lunch with our very
Exploring UIC
Pitch In students were excited to explore UIC's beautiful campus last Wednesday. Throughout the tour we learned fun facts about the University, sat in a real live lecture hall, saw students moving into the dorms, got
Mural Work & Chefs in Training
This past week Pitch In summer students were extremely busy with our partners! We painted murals on our schools' walls with Connect Force using our student's work from previous sessions in which students created positive
Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum Trip
Pitch In students explored interactive exhibits, creatures and the trails at the Nature museum field trip. We had a great day learning about weather patterns, delivering the weather via broadcast, learning about swamps and marshes,
SNAP Kitchen Field Trip
In July Pitch In students were thrilled to visit Old Town's Snap Kitchen! While visiting students were able to try a variety of healthy foods including juices, entrees and deserts while guessing the healthy surprise
Together We Win
Over the past 2 years I have developed extremely special relationships with my mentees. Not only have I formed many new friendships, but I also have began to appreciate what I have as a result of being a mentor. Pitch In has become one of my homes away from home, as I have grown to feel like everyone involved is one big welcoming family.
Pitch In has given my grandson the confidence to lead others and speak in front of groups of people.
Jaylon has made new friends, bonded with his peers and become more independent since joining Pitch In.
I was really blessed and impressed that Kerry and Sarah were both so down to earth, and working in the trenches with all the volunteers. Ever since then, I try to help out and support WFF whenever I can, and mentoring for Pitch In is one way I can help.
I am so grateful to have spent my first school year with our amazing 4th grade students. I look forward to continuing to serve as a resource and positive influence in their lives as they move on to apply for high school. The Pitch In program is full of unbelievably bright, energetic and creative kids—paired with caring, fun, hardworking mentors and staff.