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Who We Are - Background & ProgramsCIS Background and Programs Communities In Schools of the Charleston Area, Inc. • Provides a dropout prevention program that promotes our mission to surround students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life • Serves nearly 9,000 students (85% from low-income familes) in 21 area schools, using an evidenced-based comprehensive approach to bring community services to students, their families, and schools • Celebrating 21 years of excellent service, CIS outcomes are tracked on multilayer data management system (CISDM) • Reports that 90% of donated income goes directly to program services • Partners with Charleston and Berkeley County School Districts to implement the CIS model ($65,000 per school) , using full-time Student Support Specialists in 21 public schools • Uses a proven process for developing public/private partnerships (667) with businesses, grantors, government agencies, and volunteers who, last year donated 50,722 service hours • Effectively coordinates the brokering of existing community services in schools that cuts across institutional lines to provide “comprehensive services” and community support for children and families in need • Brings about systemic change in the lives of youth to foster a new generation of community leaders and adds outstanding productivity to our nation’s workforce • Uses evidence-based strategies to meet main objectives: increase academics, improve school attendance, improve positive behavior, increase attachments to school, decrease teen pregnancy, and increase family cohesiveness • Maintains a 501 (c)(3) status and a $1.9 million budget to support up to 29 in-school employees and eight staff members housed at 1090 East Montague Avenue, North Charleston, SC. Owns and maintains a 2,100 sq. ft. office building purchased in 2008 • Affiliated with the 34-year-old Communities In Schools-National in Washington, D.C., which is the nation's only organization proven to increase graduation rates. President Obama has heralded it as one of the bright spots in public education. Time Magazine recently included Communities In Schools in its comprehensive "What Makes Schools Great" feature. Worth magazine has twice named CIS-National as one of the 100 charities that will save the world • Named by CIS-National, CIS Charleston is one of the first 10 in the network of 181 affiliates to achieve National Accreditation Status Celebrating 21 years of excellent service, Communities In Schools of the Charleston Area, Inc. (CIS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit agency that surrounds students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life. The overarching goal of Communities In Schools is that all students complete high school. A unique collaboration with the Charleston and Berkeley County School Districts allows CIS Student Support Specialists to work within schools where they can respond to the needs of children and their families as they arise. The CIS Student Support Program is designed to counter the risk factors associated with school failure by providing protective measures that can influence a student’s decision to remain in school and be successful in life. These protective direct services are individualized and include mentoring, tutoring, life skills, case management, individual and group counseling sessions in drug/alcohol and teen pregnancy prevention, reading literacy activities, quality after school activities, service-learning opportunities, and parent education and family cohesiveness activities.
CIS was established in 1989, following a study by Johns Hopkins University in Maryland that advised the Charleston County School District to implement dropout prevention programs. In a 1990 partnership with the Charleston County School District CIS established the Septima P. Clark Corporate Academy, Charleston County’s first alternative high school. The Clark Academy offers a low student/teacher ratio and a comprehensive support staff for students who have previously not excelled in the traditional school setting. America’s Promise has recognized the academy as one of America’s Schools of Promise. For the 2011-2012 school year, CIS anticipates having up to 29 Student Support Specialists in 21 public schools (an average of 92% low-income families) in Charleston and Berkeley Counties in South Carolina. CIS serves nearly 9,000 Charleston-area children and their families with both direct services and the integration of services and resources from the surrounding community.
Through outstanding partnerships and the efforts of a committed staff and Board of Directors, Communities In Schools works to help students remain in school, in an environment tailored to their particular needs, and in a program that prepares them for life as productive adults. Because of “working partnerships” with various organizations, CIS is able to provide a variety of services. In addition to the Berkeley and Charleston County School Districts, CIS works with the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), The Charleston Center (Department of Alcohol and other Drug Abuse Services), Rotary Club of North Charleston, Florence Crittenton Programs of South Carolina, South Carolina Department of Social Services (SCDSS), South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (SCDHHS), South Carolina Department of Environmental Control (DHEC), Trident United Way, Big Brothers Big Sisters, The City of Charleston, The City of North Charleston, Charleston/Dorchester Community Mental Health Center, Rural Missions, WINGS FOR KIDS, Louie’s Kids, From Darkness to Light, The Dee Norton Lowcountry Children’s Center, Charleston County Parks and Recreation, Carolina Studios, Charleston Basket Brigade, Piggly Wiggly Carolinas, and other organizations, each of which provides services as a part of its partnership with CIS. In this manner, CIS brings the expertise and resources of existing agencies into the drop-out prevention arena. Within this diversity of approaches, all CIS partnerships are united behind “the five basics for kids”: • Every child needs and deserves a personal, one-on-one relationship with a caring adult
CIS achieves positive results with the students who actively participate in the CIS programs. For the 2010-11 school year, the following outcomes were achieved based on 640 students who received Student Support services: • 93% were promoted (excludes seniors) During the 2011-2012 school year, Communities In Schools will serve students in 21 schools: • North Charleston Elementary School Student Support Program The Student Support Program is designed to address the risk and protective factors that influence a child’s academic success and the decision to remain in school. When a school partners with CIS, it gains a liaison that focuses on bringing resources into the school to support the basic and behavioral needs that help allow children to learn and teachers to teach. Working with each school’s administration, CIS develops annual site plans that prioritize the support needs of the population. This support comes through the coordinated integration of community resources, as well as direct service provision provided by full-time CIS Student Support Specialists at each school. CIS Specialists have, at minimum, a Bachelor’s Degree in an education, social work, or counseling field and are provided ongoing professional development on how to educate and counsel students in life skills, anger management, healthy choices and goal setting. Those identified to be at the highest risk for not completing high school are case-managed by CIS Specialists and offered a wealth of scientifically proven protective services to counter the negative challenges they may face, including: • Basic Needs Support CIS recognizes that if basic needs are not met, children are not able to learn. The CIS Student Support Specialist works with the school administration to identify students who are lacking basic needs such as food, clothing and shelter; and utilizes community resources to assist with meeting these needs. Additionally, CIS Specialists are trained to implement the Lions Quest Life Skills program with students at any grade level. Other whole school offerings include parenting programs, grief and loss groups, and bullying prevention. The main objectives of the program are to: 1) Increase academics 2) Maintain adequate school attendance, and 3) Improve school behavior. The level of services provided children is characterized based on the needs they exhibit: Level 1 – These services and resources are widely accessible to any student at the CIS site. They are short-term or long-term interventions that are provided or brokered on an as-needed or as-available basis. Students need not be enrolled in a specific CIS initiative to benefit from such resources and services; they are open to all members of the school population at large. Some examples of Level 1 resources or services include providing clothing or school supplies, assemblies, events, career fairs, field trips, health screenings, service-learning, and life skills classes. Level 2 – Level 2 students are those who are case-managed by CIS Student Support Specialists and receive more than one CIS service or resource weekly. School administrators and the CIS Support Specialist work together to identify students with risk factors that can lead to dropping out of school. Then these Level 2 students are tracked for progress in the areas of promotion, graduation, grades, school attendance and behavior, and teen pregnancy rates. A needs assessment is completed with the parent/guardian of each Level 2 student, and a case plan is developed with the student. CIS staff members also provide direct services including mentoring; pregnancy prevention services; life skills lessons; and case management including assessment, goal setting, crisis intervention, information/referral, home visits, and tracking of progress. These services are brought into the school, where they can have a daily and direct impact on the students.
After-School Programming After-School programming is often part of a whole-school strategy. In order to offer an array of services without duplication, Student Support Specialists coordinate services with existing after-school programming at individual school sites. CIS After-School components provide young people with comprehensive, wrap-around services, in an enriching, safe and nurturing environment. Through a mutually beneficial and supportive partnership with the schools, after-school programs strive to improve students’ sense of responsibility, attachment to school, motivation, and self-esteem through activities that are age, gender, and culturally appropriate. These activities include tutoring, mentoring, career counseling, , healthy decision-making, service learning and physical and creative expression.
The Communities In Schools (CIS) Mentoring Program matches students with "mentors" -exemplary adults from the community who have volunteered to dedicate themselves to at least one year of one-on-one weekly interaction with a student. Mentoring is one of the most powerful tools to combat the growing disconnection between high school students and young professionals in our society. The model is unique in that mentor services are provided as one component of the total CIS program and services are provided on site, at the school. The goal of the Mentor Program is to expose students to personal and positive role models on a weekly basis throughout the school year, consequently reducing the risk factors that lead to dropping out of school. An iMentor program is also available for those who wish to correspond and mentor through email. For more information about any of the mentoring opportunities, please contact our Coordinator of Volunteers, Jennifer Paulsen at 843-740-6793 or by email at jpaulsen@cischarleston.org.
Wise Guys is a teen pregnancy prevention program stressing male responsibility and character building. The Wise Guys program curriculum consists of ten components including self-esteem, values clarification, communication, sexuality, abstinence and contraception, sexually transmitted diseases, decision-making, goal-setting, dating violence and parenthood. Male students meet weekly with CIS Student Support Specialists working in the schools throughout the school year.
Teen Companion is the female counterpart to the Wise Guys program, which also incorporates life-skills instruction that addresses adolescent pregnancy prevention. Teen Companion participants are middle and high school students who display risk factors for becoming teen parents.
This curriculum focuses on character education, communication skills and life skills education to help guide young people to make healthy choices. The program goals are as follows: Help youth resist negative pressures and live healthy, drug-free lives; Celebrate diversity; Build active citizenship skills through real-life community service; Provide resources and support to adults who support young people; Involve the family, school and community. The program teaches important life skills to youth by using the most up-to-date research and strategies and also by bringing the home, community and school together to help youth be successful.
(Sea Island Advocates For Education) A multifaceted collaborative initiative on Johns Island and Wadmalaw Island. The coalition of organizations is committed to reducing the dropout rate and teen pregnancies on Johns Island and Wadmalaw Island. The initiative includes researched-based successful programs, educational curriculum enhancement, community and youth development programming, and increased access to health care and prevention services.
Links to Success is a Trident United Way (TUW) collaboration in which CIS staff serve as Integrated Services Providers, coordinating the services of Linking Partners funded by the TUW. Links To Success sites for the 2011-2012 school year include St. Stephen Elementary School, St. Stephen Middle School, Edith L. Frierson Elementary School, Memminger Elementary School, North Charleston Elementary School and Haut Gap Magnet School of Advanced Studies.
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