Newsletter - Oct. 2009

SUCCESS STORIES

Thanks to the generosity of donors, CIS has helped thousands of children excel in schools throughout the Charleston region. learn more

ROUNDBALL CLASSIC
December 28, 29, 30, 2009

The Roundball Classic is a nationally-recognized basketball tournament that benefits Communities In Schools of the Charleston Area, Inc. and the Rotary Club of North Charleston. learn more

THE CHOCOLATE AFFAIR
February 6, 2010

The Chocolate Affair is a gala function offering gourmet catering, chocolate desserts from Charleston's finest restaurants and speciality shops, and auction items. learn more

CHARLESTON YACHT AFFAIR
May 16, 2010

The Charleston Yacht Affair features exclusive yacht tours, delicious cuisine from Charleston’s top chefs, entertainment and more. learn more

RESOURCES

Achievement Gap Report (PDF)
Graduation Rate Fact Sheet (PDF)
Sobering Costs of Dropouts in SC (PDF)

Success Stories

Elena's Story

Elena was a Johns Island seventh grade honor student who was hiding a troubled home life. Her father was an abusive alcoholic who had abandoned his wife and four children - three daughters and a son, of whom Elena was the youngest. Her mother had been left to run their dilapidated home, yet could speak little English and had no means of support. The family had no insurance and was not eligible for Medicaid.

When Elena entered the Communities In Schools Teen Companion Program, her older brother had only recently been arrested on drug charges. The night it happened, Elena and her siblings huddled together and watched the police knock down their front door, handcuff their brother, and take him from their home. A short time later, Elena became pregnant. Her mother told Elena to move in with the boyfriend, who lived with his father and his older brother, and kicked her out of the house.

At age 14, Elena was pregnant, living with three men away from her home and not sure what to do. She easily could have become a school dropout.

Elena told her CIS Student Support Specialist about her pregnancy and that she was no longer living at home. Hoping to find aid for Elena, the specialist contacted a local social service provider about its housing and residential education program. Sadly, since Elena wasn't on Medicaid, she would have to pay $500 per month for her room, board, schooling, and medical expenses - an expense Elena had no way of paying on her own.

Elena's CIS Student Support Specialist didn't give up. She approached individuals and churches on Johns Island and raised the money needed for Elena's stay at the residential program until she delivered her baby. Meanwhile, CIS assisted Elena's mother in working with Habitat for Humanity on Johns Island to buy a safe and comfortable home. Her mother soon experienced a change of heart and allowed Elena to move into her new home with the baby and the baby's father.

Elena entered Septima P. Clark Corporate Academy, an alternative high school in Charleston County that was co-founded by Communities In Schools in 1990. In 2008, Elena graduated from Clark, class valedictorian!

Tyler's Story

Tyler's grandmother needed help. She had advanced-stage diabetes and received dialysis treatments twice each week. She had been raising Tyler, his two brothers, and his sister for the past ten years and knew her own family could offer no support. Tyler's mother was a drug addict who lived in New York City and had not contacted her family in over seven years. One of Tyler's brothers was away at college, and the other was a student at St. Johns High School. This brother was on probation for breaking and entering. Tyler increasingly sneaked out of his grandmother's Wadmalaw Island home and hitchhiked to Johns Island, skipped school, and ignored responsibilities at home. His grades were terrible, his personal hygiene was bad, and he was always getting into trouble.

When the grandmother contacted CIS, she was at her wits' end. She felt Tyler was completely out of control, and there was nothing she would be able to do to save him. A CIS Student Support Specialist tried talking to Tyler; they met several times each week, but Tyler showed no signs of improvement. Eventually the Student Support Specialist contacted Connie Maxwell Children's Home in Orangeburg, seeking the supervision Tyler so desperately needed, but his grandmother was too frail to provide. Connie Maxwell had an opening, but it was at the upstate campus in Chesterfield. The family did not have transportation, so the Support Specialist took them to Orangeburg for Tyler's initial interview.

In early spring Tyler began his stay in Chesterfield. Luckily, he only had to stay there a few months before space opened in Orangeburg. Once there, Tyler could make it home for visits more easily. The CIS Student Support Specialist coordinated with Tyler's pastor to help transport him home once a month for visits. By August, Tyler's fellow churchgoers were talking about it: Tyler looked better than he ever had.

Today, the pastor reports Tyler is doing very well. He thrives on the structure he has in Orangeburg, earns solid grades, and displays positive behavior. Tyler's mother has since moved from New York to Wadmalaw and is caring for her family and working. Tyler's CIS Student Support Specialist now has Tyler's younger brother in his Wise Guys Club at St. Johns High School and keeps in touch with Tyler.

Nyesha's Story

Nyesha had spent her entire life in foster care, living in nine different homes by the time she was fifteen. With each new foster home came a move to a new school. Uncertainty and disappointment surrounded her. She had difficulty making friends and adjusting to her constantly changing environment. She received detentions and suspensions at school, and her behavior often resulted in new foster placements.

Nyesha began spending time with a group of teenagers known for their delinquent behavior. She frequently skipped school to get drunk and "hang out." She became sexually promiscuous and earned a bad reputation in her high school, was often ridiculed and teased by other students, and earned failing grades. Nyesha had little self-esteem and even less concern for her future, thus very little motivation to stay in school.

When Nyesha was told she was about to be placed in a juvenile detention center or group home, she knew she had to make changes in her life. She applied to Septima P. Clark Corporate Academy, the Charleston County School District's alternative high school, and enrolled in Communities In Schools' Teen Companion Program. This initiative teaches life skills through mentoring, service-learning, and individualized attention. It also focuses on adolescent pregnancy prevention.

Since changing her school environment, Nyesha has maintained a B average, has received behavioral referrals, and is no longer promiscuous. She is an active participant in the Teen Companion group sessions, sharing her negative experiences with her classmates. She credits encouragement from her foster mother and the support she has received from CIS at her new school as critical to her newfound success. She says that she respects herself more now and that she isn't afraid to ask for help. Nyesha is using her experiences to help her classmates make healthy choices and to stay in school.