Our Blog

More than seven million students nationwide are chronically absent from school—missing so much school, for any reason, that they are academically at risk.

Cynthia Clay-Briggs, Executive Director of CIS of Houston provided this update on the recovery and offered her gratitude to those who are supporting their efforts through the All In For Texas Relief Fund.   

As the waters begin to recede and the damage is surveyed, it is imperative that Americans mobilize in support of the affected students, families, affiliates, and schools. We, too, feel overwhelmed by the disaster and subsequent outpouring of information, so we’ve created a resource guide to help those ready to act do so with knowledge and precision.

Communities In Schools is pleased to share our 2016 Annual Report. In our most recent report we continue to see the impact of community that inscribes our name. We're proud of the work we've done and are grateful for the support of our advocates and partners across the country. As we progress through the second half of the year we look forward to moving ahead while taking a moment to reflect back.

Sarad Davenport, a Charlottesville native, joined Communities in Schools as the Associate Director of Culture and Connections at the National Office in May, 2017. Three months later Sarad watched, alongside the rest of the nation as white nationalists, neo-nazis, and Klan members took to the streets of his hometown with torches, inciting horrific violence and proclaiming that they would not be replaced. Sarad’s experience is all too familiar for many of the students CIS serves. Racial prejudice, inequality, and economic stagnation are just a few of the adult-sized challenges our students face as barriers to academic success. Systemic racial oppression has denied black and brown children the American Dream for too long, and the attitudes demonstrated on August 12th belie the notion of a post-racial America.

CIS reconnects with two of the participants in the "In Schools for Kids" reunion video.

The Communities In Schools Board of Directors and CIS network is mourning the loss of longtime supporter, Former Texas Governor Mark White.

James Rivera is an alumnus of CIS of East Texas and co-chair of the CIS Alumni Leadership Network. He was recently selected to participate in this fall’s highly competitive Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute’s Internship Program, where he will spend 12 weeks working in a congressional office.