Whiz Kids began in 1990 through the collaborative efforts of church, community, school and business leaders in Denver. Their desire was to bring resources into neighborhoods where there was a need to bridge the achievement gap. Whiz Kids began a city-wide outreach by partnering suburban and urban churches with urban schools. This partnership led to one-on-one tutoring with elementary-age children. The result was a program called "Wise Guys," with three locations and 60 kids.