THE BOOK: What is Communities In Schools?
This book contains many references to the organization called Communities In Schools, or CIS. For readers not familiar with CIS, a brief description follows; more information is available at www.CISNet.org.
Communities In Schools (CIS) is the nation’s leading community-based organization helping kids succeed in school and prepare for life. CIS is nonprofit, nonpartisan, and dedicated to ending the dropout epidemic in the United States.
For 30 years, CIS has championed the connection of needed community resources with schools. By bringing caring adults into the schools to address children's unmet needs, CIS provides the link between educators and the community. The result: Teachers are free to teach, and students -- many in jeopardy of dropping out -- finally have the opportunity to focus on learning.
CIS creates comprehensive, locally controlled nonprofit support systems around schools. In partnership with the local school system, CIS identifies the most critical needs of students and families - needs that are preventing children from succeeding in school, and in life. CIS then locates and coordinates community resources, dedicated volunteers and agencies to serve in partnership with the public schools, both during the day and after school, thereby making the work of educators much more effective.
Each year, more than 1.4 million young people and their families in 27 states and the District of Columbia receive services through Communities In Schools.