Root 2 Rise

"Franklin has been a rockstar for us this year! No, really, he has actual rockstar status in my classroom. The kids love his presence in class, and love it even more when they get to work with him one-on-one or in a small group. I’m certain they will be asking for his autograph before the year is out!

Franklin has earned every bit of his fame among my third graders. He is kind and respectful, helpful and supportive. He takes direction well and is willing to do whatever is asked of him, and does it with charisma.

Having Franklin as a Root 2 Rise [Tutor-Mentor] has been a positive experience for me and for my students. I can rely on Franklin to support students individually or in small groups, allowing them to get extra guidance while I work with another group. The students also have a role model in Franklin. They look up to him and admire him, and his positive influence will be memorable for them.

Thank you, Franklin, for your effort and grace in navigating the ins and outs of an elementary school classroom! I very much appreciate you and the care you take with our students." - R2R Partner Teacher, Jennifer Logan

Such a powerful celebration of what Tutor-Mentor Franklin meant to his Henderson Elementary classroom this year! Thank you for sharing it with us Ms. Logan!

What a celebration!

On May 27th, we honored our 2025-26 Academic Year Tutor-Mentors from DeForest Area High School and La Follette High School as they received their certificates of completion. Principal Mat Thompson and Madison Schools - MMSD Senior Partnerships Coordinator Sonia Spencer joined us with remarks, Executive Director Denise Hanson and Program Manager Joseph Thigpen Jr. celebrated each Tutor-Mentor as they crossed the stage, and Partner Teachers, friends, and family filled the room to cheer them on.

Congratulations, Tutor-Mentors. You showed up, you led, and you made a real difference for so many young learners this year.

And stay tuned, we're pulling together more photos and footage from the evening to share with you soon!

Every spring, Madison Schools - MMSD seniors put on their cap and gown and walk through each of the elementary schools in their district. It's a beautiful full circle moment as they return to the schools where they once started their educational journeys.

And for those who were in Root 2 Rise, it represents something even more special . . . because it means they also walked back into the elementary schools where they'd spent this year as Tutor-Mentors to find their students and Partner-Teachers lined up in the hallways, chanting their names — cheering them across the finish line 🩵

Congratulations to our 2026 graduates!

Lori Williams has spent 36 years teaching people about money, and our Tutor-Mentors in Portland were lucky to be among them.

Lori is a Financial Education Specialist at Unitus Community Credit Union, and she ran two financial literacy workshops for R2R students at Reynolds Learning Academy this year. She also sat down with students one-on-one to help them with financial planning and to open their first savings accounts -- and Unitus generously waived fees!

Thank you, Lori. Thank you, Unitus. This is what a true Community Partnership looks like!

Read more about what Lori taught our students about money, credit, and where to turn when things go sideways:

How a Paid Leadership Program for High School Students in Oregon Builds Financial Independence — Root 2 Rise Root 2 Rise is a paid high school leadership program in Oregon and Wisconsin where students serve in K-5 classrooms and earn a real stipend for their work. The financial literacy education built into the program is designed to set them up for success long after graduation. Here's how that came to li

Fairview Elementary first grade teacher Keri Pierce has welcomed Root 2 Rise Tutor-Mentors into her first-grade classroom for three years running. This year she's been working with the amazing Mauro! Here is what Keri has to say about the program's impact:

"I have been teaching for 18 years. My students enjoy having the Root 2 Rise students come each day. They develop relationships with the high school students and enjoy asking them for help with work and talking to them. I appreciate having another adult in the classroom to help with projects during a busy part of the day. The high school students get an opportunity to be a leader."

Teeli Thao knows what it’s like to sit in a classroom and not quite feel like you belong. Now, as a Root 2 Rise Tutor-Mentor in Madison Schools - MMSD, he brings that perspective to help the students who really need it. In his first year, he's helped a struggling reader hit a big goal, shown up on his days off, and plans to major in education.

With a year of real classroom experience already behind him, he's already made a real difference — and he's just getting started . . .

Read Teeli’s Spotlight Here: https://www.root2rise.org/news-blog/tutor-mentor-spotlight-teeli

La Follette High School

What Happens When High Schoolers Lead: Meet Tutor-Mentor and La Follette High Student Teeli Thao — Root 2 Rise Root 2 Rise trains and compensates high school juniors and seniors to work as Tutor-Mentors in elementary classrooms — building belonging, motivation, and connections to supportive adults while developing real career skills. Meet Teeli Thao, a La Follette (Madison, WI) senior who brought individua...

Meet Nehemiah Williams, a Tutor-Mentor in Ms. Anita Johnson's first-grade class at Salish Ponds Elementary School in Fairview, Oregon.

When asked what he likes about R2R, Nehemiah said, "I like feeling that I accomplished something when I see that the students learned something new. It makes me happy. I like that I get to teach kids."

Nehemiah's superpower is his patience and mild-mannered nature, especially when working with students who need the most support. His Partner Teacher Ms. Johnson says, "Nehemiah is very good at jumping in and helping students who need extra support. Students are very responsive to his calm demeanor. He works very well with our high-needs students. He is understanding and kind."

Though he'd hadn't thought about teaching before joining R2R, the program has him seriously considering pursuing it now.

If that is the path Nehemiah chooses, his future students are going to be very lucky -- way to go Nehemiah!

What creates the conditions where 100% of students graduate on time, report stronger leadership, motivation, and academic engagement, and feel a deeper sense of belonging in their schools?

Partnerships that truly work.

Yesterday, Executive Director Denise and Program Manager Joe were on a panel at the Madison Schools - MMSD Partnership Breakfast alongside Urban League of Greater Madison, Healing Circles for Girls, and Simpson Street Free Press. The through-line: when MMSD staff, community partners, and students all show up for each other, amazing things happen. Students have supportive adults, positive peer-to-peer connections, and a way to contribute meaningfully to their school community. Those are the conditions belonging research identifies as essential for students to thrive — our data also backs it up.

We're proud to be part of a district that knows when we all row the boat in the same direction, we can get to the destination sooner.

On Wednesday, Executive Director Denise and Program Manager Joe attended the grand opening of The Center for Black Excellence and Culture on Madison's south side . . . the energy in that building was something else! It was great to see some familiar, friendly faces there, too.

Congratulations to Rev. Alex Gee, Lilada Gee, and everyone who made this happen 🎉

Our Executive Director Denise Hanson was outside La Follette High School last week meeting with Principal Thompson and Coordinator of Academic and Student Engagement Molly when Tutor-Mentors Deseray, Courtney, and Javeah came walking back from their elementary school placements . . . . they'd just spent the morning on a field trip with their students at the Wisconsin Film Festival's children's matinee — so of course we had to get a group picture!

These are high school students with their own schedules, their own coursework, their own lives. And yet, they show up every day for a classroom of elementary kids — creating the kind of rich, memorable learning experiences that make entire school communities stronger 🩵

Madison Schools - MMSD La Follette High School Wisconsin Film Festival