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• Here's What We Do

• The Five Basics

• Challenges Facing Wayne County, Indiana Youth

• Wayne County, Indiana Resources

• The Solution:  Communities in Schools

• Plans and Priorities

• School Site and Family Resource Coordinators

• Informative Links

• Current Board of Directors

For more than 20 years, CIS has been refining a collaborative process.  The CIS process draws from school, family and community resources, to facilitate and coordinate collaborative efforts.  This repositions existing services into public schools, making them more accessible to children, youth, and families.  

The CIS partnerships developed in schools will enable counselors and school personnel to connect available services with families and children in a more timely, efficient manner.

Here's What We Do:
Communities in Schools prepares kids for life.

We bring resources, services, business partners, parents, and volunteers into public schools across the United States.  We meet children's needs so they can concentrate on learning.  We free teachers so they can teach, and we create a safe learning environment.

The resources and people that CIS connects with the school are often already in place in the community.  But are they in the right place?  Such resources are usually found outside the school building, across town, or open only during business and school hours.  Communities in Schools is the connector, bringing a team of caring adults right into the school building to help kids prepare for life.

The Five Basics
Communities in Schools believes that all children need and deserve "The Five Basics":

1. A personal, one-on-one relationship with a caring adult.

2. A safe place to learn and grow.

3. A healthy start and a healthy future.

4. A marketable skill to use upon graduation.

5. A chance to give back to peers and community.

Challenges Facing Wayne County, Indiana Youth
The Wayne County Step Ahead Council commissioned a study of all needs assessments pertaining to children and youth of the county.  The identified risk factors prevalent are:

• High teen pregnancy rate

• High drug use by youth (especially marijuana, cigarette and alcohol use)

• Delinquency

• School suspensions and academic problems

• High school drop out rates

Wayne County, Indiana Resources
The Community Alliances to Promote Education (CAPE) research project commissioned by the Wayne County Foundation affirmed the following points:

• Challenges facing schools cannot be solved by educators alone.

• Family influence has a major impact on factors affecting learning.

• Wayne County is resource rich with many human and social services, youth organizations, businesses, faith and civic organizations available.

• Individuals from various parts of the community are willing to help find a solution.

The Solution:  Communities in Schools
Communities in Schools of Wayne County, Inc. is a not-for-profit partnership organization that will:

• Assist in collecting data to identify local needs.

• Coordinate and connect services.

• Promote real collaborative efforts by bringing together providers, agencies and schools.

• Provide leadership and develop grant/funding opportunities.

• Base programming decisions on accurate data.

• Work with existing resources to connect services with young people.

CIS Program Components:

• Counseling/Supportive Guidance

• Health & Human Services

• Parental Involvement

• College and Workforce Preparation

• Enrichment Activities

• Educational Enhancement

Plans and Priorities:
CIS is currently serving Centerville, Hagerstown, Lincoln, Northeastern and Richmond schools. 

Priorities for 2005-2006 include continuing dialogue with all Wayne County School systems to share information, connect resources, and coordinate efforts with special emphasis on the following:

• Support and enhance parental involvement initiatives.

• Expand and enhance mentoring, tutoring, and volunteer activities.

• Connect targeted students with existing support services (including students involved with probation).

• Promote college/workforce preparation activities through partnership with Richmond/Wayne County Chamber of Commerce Business Education Liaison Program and Regional Workforce Investment Board (WIB) Youth council.

• Support early literacy initiatives

• Document outcomes related to program and site-goals.

School Site and Family Resource Coordinators:

News and Annual CIS Events                                                                  
CISWC offers a variety of ways to keep in touch!

• Monthly E-Newsletter:  Connection

• Special News and Announcements of Events from our partner agencies and schools

• Annual Report                                                                         

To be included on our electronic mailing list and receive periodic news and updates, send your request to cisassist@parallax.ws. 

CISWC Annual Events include:

• SPRING  - “Spotlight on Youth” variety program celebrating youth achievement in Wayne County

• FALL   -  Annual Meeting and Dinner Celebration

Informative Links:

• CIS National Web Site

2005/2006 Board of Directors

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