Root 2 Rise

05/29/2026

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!

05/27/2026

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:

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

05/22/2026

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."

05/19/2026

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

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...

05/15/2026

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!

05/13/2026

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.

05/08/2026

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 🎉

04/24/2026

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

04/17/2026

We had a blast last week at Madison West High School's 3rd annual Equity Symposium! It's a full school day where students chose from nearly 100 workshops led by educators, organizers, artists, and advocates doing meaningful work across Madison. Root 2 Rise was proud to be on the roster for the second year in a row.

And the R2R connection to West runs deep! Founder Denise Hanson taught there for 22 years. Joseph Thigpen Jr. and Martina Gabrielli, who led our workshop, are both West graduates and former Tutor-Mentors. Joseph now serves as R2R's Program Manager, and Martina is in Thrive, R2R's post-graduation alumni program, and studying to become a teacher.

The high school students who signed up reflected on their own experiences in the classroom . . . the teachers who made them feel seen and supported, and what that meaningfully nurtured in them. They got honest about the gaps too: what this generation of students needs that teachers don't always understand, and how that disconnect shows up. It was a rich conversation, and it clearly inspired some next steps. Several students signed up as Tutor-Mentors on the spot — and we can't wait to see them bring those reflections into local classrooms alongside teachers and the elementary kids they'll serve.

04/10/2026

Meet Nikki, a Root 2 Rise Tutor-Mentor in Ms. Hebb's class at Fairview Elementary.

"Root 2 Rise has helped me to be patient with kids. To pay attention and keep my ears open more," Nikki says.

Ms. Hebb shared that Nikki has been building positive relationships with students since she started, modeling good behavior, inspiring them in the classroom, and staying through recess, where the kids seek her out.

"I would like to go into teaching now! I think I'd like to teach 3rd grade," she adds.

That is what Root 2 Rise is all about: to activate power that already exists within young people, return it to the schools and neighborhoods around them, and in doing so, make entire communities stronger. Nikki is doing exactly that!