Our site coordinators work hard to ensure that students have the resources they need to progress academically. From providing students with virtual learning support, credit recovery assistance, to finding tutors and creating quiet spaces where students can study, we do whatever it takes to create an optimal learning environment for our students.

What can seem like small obstacles can easily lead students off track. That’s why ensuring students have access to basic needs is so important. A student cannot focus in the classroom if they are hungry, cold or tired, or cannot see the board. Most important, we ensure that home is a healthy nurturing environment where students always feel safe.

Both higher education and the modern workplace are evolving rapidly, and with this shift come new opportunities, greater competition, more complex skill sets, and job titles that didn’t exist a few years ago. It’s a lot to process, especially for students already dealing with their own unique challenges. For students pursuing college, we help decipher the application process, explore scholarship opportunities, tour campuses and conduct mock interviews. For those planning to enter the work force, we help students discover enjoyable, sustainable career paths and connect them to internships and job shadowing opportunities. For those undecided, our site coordinators provide a safe sounding board to articulate goals and fears, and explore options. Many of our kids have a limited frame of reference of what their careers can be, so an important part of our job is making them aware of the possibilities and encouraging them to “dream big”. From there, we help them understand and meet the requirements to ultimately achieve their goals.

We know that greater parental involvement in a student’s life promotes greater student success. But parents and guardians often face their own obstacles. Language barriers, busy work schedules, and other family obligations can keep caregivers from getting involved in their child’s student life. CIS sees family engagement as a crucial element to our success, and work to remove barriers that prevent caregivers from staying central in their child’s education. CIS helps support a healthy school environment where students and families feel safe and welcome. Our site coordinators are advocates for all families and check in with families often to keep them updated on their students' progress. They’ve worked with teachers to offer community-based parent teacher nights so more parents could attend and have sponsored family nights and parent support groups to help parents stay involved.

Life/social skills cover a broad range of topics – including personal health and hygiene, money management, digital footprint best practices, character development, and other essential skills such as how to study, how to manage time, and even how to set and achieve goals. Site coordinators teach students how to work together with others, interact with authority figures and manage anger and other emotions. Mastering life skills helps students engage more effectively with others, resolve issues diplomatically and understand the importance of compromise, patience, and other social values.

Despite the advancements in modern medicine, many kids in America continue to face a number of serious, chronic, health-related issues. Asthma, obesity and poor dental health are just a few. Add to this poor nutrition, plus lack of regular exercise, and it becomes clear how physical health can be a barrier to success. Communities In Schools is committed to promoting good nutrition, physical activity, access to health services and a healthy school environment. We offer a variety of after school and summer programs to encourage physical activity, healthy eating and time outdoors. We believe healthy minds and bodies are the vehicles for our students’ success.

Some students face emotional, behavioral and mental health challenges, either directly themselves or in their immediate family. Our site coordinators are trained to help identify and reach out to kids and families who may need support services. We work with our partner schools, as well as community organizations, to provide the best resources and referrals available to our students and families. Our commitment is to treat every child with dignity and respect, and ensure they receive the services and support they need to be their best.

We provide or connect students to individual counseling and facilitate small support groups to help them manage their emotions and interactions with peers; addressing issues such as grief and loss, depression, low self-esteem, anger management, and anxiety.