Our mission is to surround students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life.
WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO REACH GRADUATION DAY?
It takes a community of support from kindergarten through senior year. Communities In Schools of Chicago plays this vital role.
We connect schools with essential programs that support students on their path to success, and we provide tailored, one-on-one guidance to young people who need it most.
For more than 35 years, Communities In Schools of Chicago has served as a steady presence in the city, doing whatever it takes for schools to succeed and for young people to thrive.
Impact In Our Community
Chicago Public Schools students benefited from programs and services provided by or connected through CIS of Chicago.*
students in grades K-12 were served by Student Supports Managers. Together, they created a plan to develop the skills and access the resources these students need to reach their full potential.*
schools were served by CIS team members, who linked community partner programming that addressed student and school needs.*
*Data from the 2022-23 school year
PROVIDING HOLISTIC SUPPORT
Chicago’s public-school students and their families have endured unprecedented challenges since the start of the decade. A global pandemic, increased violence, and rising economic insecurity have taken a significant toll on our schools. The U.S. Surgeon General recently named mental health as an area of serious concern for today’s youth and issued a call to action for all caring adults.
CIS of Chicago responds to these challenges by ensuring that students have access to the supports they need to strengthen their mental health and overall wellbeing. Our team does this by providing direct services to individual students, as well as coordinating the supports provided by community partners, to bolster entire school communities.
"As a Chicago Public Schools (CPS) born-and-raised arts kid, it became my personal mission to one day be able to bring arts and culture programs to as many CPS students as possible," said CIS team member Katia.
"Being the CIS Arts & Culture Partnership Specialist allows me the opportunity to share programs with so many more students than I ever have before. Being able to observe these programs in action and watch the students engaging in the experience is my absolute favorite thing."
We're happy to have you on the team, Katia! ... See MoreSee Less
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Meet Jenna, one of our CIS Student Supports Managers who provides direct support to young people. Jenna helps students develop the skills and access the resources they need to stay on the path to graduation.
"My favorite part of my job is seeing student’s growth school year to school year," Jenna said, "and being able to give them a space to be their authentic selves." ... See MoreSee Less
What's on your list of summer to-dos? May we suggest becoming certified in Youth Mental Health First Aid??
Our CIS team trains community members in identifying, understanding, and responding to signs of youth experiencing a mental health crisis.
The Mental Health First Aid course helps create a safety net around our young people, and we have a virtual training coming up on 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝟏𝟕!
Learn more and register at our website: ... See MoreSee Less
Mental Health First Aid - Communities In Schools of Chicago
www.cisofchicago.org
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is a certification course that CIS of Chicago offers to teach adults how to help either kids or fellow adults who may beEach year, Communities In Schools of Chicago presents the Spirit of Giving Award to both a community partner and a school partner who consistently go above and beyond to positively impact the lives of Chicago public-school students.
Spirit of Giving Award winners largely do this work under the radar – day in and day out – simply because it is the right thing to do. In 2024, the Spirit of Giving Award was presented to Wellness4Every1 (community partner category) and Principal Lawrence Spaulding (school partner category). Words to describe these partners included… consistent, well-respected, responsive, and reliable.
Learn more about these remarkable partners and how they supported students this school year:
www.cisofchicago.org/partners/partner-recognition/ ... See MoreSee Less
What does it take to reach graduation day? It takes a community of support from kindergarten through senior year. CIS of Chicago plays this vital role.
We connect schools with essential programs that support students on their path to success, and we provide tailored, one-on-one guidance to young people who need it most.
Learn more about our work and impact this year: ... See MoreSee Less
Diploma ✔️
You did it, Class of 2024! 🎓 And our team at CIS of Chicago couldn't be prouder. You set strong goals, and with hard work and determination, you achieved those goals. And we can't wait to see what you do next.
We were grateful to stand alongside you on your journey to graduation day. 🎉 ... See MoreSee Less
Each spring, CIS of Chicago recognizes hand-working students who set goals to improve their attendance, behavior, grades, or social and emotional skills -- and made tremendous progress with the help of their CIS Student Supports Managers.
We honor these students with a CIS Tenacity Award and provide them with a gift card, a certificate of achievement, and a personalized celebration at their school. As important as the cash award is the recognition for students who dug in, stayed hopeful, and persevered.
We invite you to meet some of our 2024 Tenacity Award winners and read their stories on our website: ... See MoreSee Less
Carnahan Family Tenacity Awards - Communities In Schools of Chicago
www.cisofchicago.org
Each spring, Communities In Schools of Chicago recognizes hard-working students who don’t normally get attention for school success. These students may haveExciting news! CIS of Chicago has been awarded a grant from Cook County Health's Stronger Together initiative, which aims to address behavioral health inequities across the region.
The County’s support will help our team continue to provide evidence-based mental health supports to schools in underserved communities across the city.
#mentalhealthmatters #allinforkids
Learn more here: ... See MoreSee Less
Cook County Health Awards $44M in Behavioral Health Grants - Cook County Health
cookcountyhealth.org
On June 10, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and County Commissioners, joined Cook County Health leaders in announcing the award of over $44 million in grants to 53 organizations as part o...School Partnership Specialist Kimberly recently received hand-written notes and pictures from students at one of our Southwest Side schools, detailing their experiences with CIS programs, and we can't help but smile at these creations from our young people.
It's notes like these that brighten our days! ☀ ... See MoreSee Less
Meet Shontierra, one of our Community Partnership Specialists at CIS of Chicago!
Shontierra has been on the team for about a year and a half, and she helps support our community partners who offer programs in academic enrichment -- and she connects those partners to schools and students who need them most.
"My very favorite thing is when I receive a photo from a program that I helped make happen at one of our schools!" Shontierra said.
Thanks for all that you do to support our young people, Shontierra!
Here's a photo of her visiting one of our community partners, The Anti-Cruelty Society. ... See MoreSee Less
This spring, CIS Student Supports Manager Bernadette launched an art club for middle-school students to great success. Students met after school once a week and were provided with a space to express themselves and explore a variety of mediums.
Perhaps most importantly, the students learned how to use art to embrace uncertainty, adapt along the way, and practice mindfulness. Read more: ... See MoreSee Less
Art Making Helps Students Develop a Growth Mindset - Communities In Schools of Chicago
www.cisofchicago.org
But art making wasn’t the club’s only benefits. Each week, the students learned how to approach their art projects with a growth mindset. When aspects of