Who We Are and What We Do

The mission of Communities In Schools is to surround students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life.

We are currently on the road to CIS National Accreditation and we are located in downtown Brunswick, GA. Our partners include the Glynn County School System, Oglethorpe Bank, Atlantic National Bank, Georgia Theatre Company, Family Connection, and The Golden Isles Chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management.

Communities In Schools is the largest dropout prevention organization in the United States. For more than 30 years, CIS has remained focused on helping kids stay in school and prepare for life by identifying and addressing the unmet needs of children and families – needs that, when left unanswered, contribute to the dropout rate. Whether it’s eyeglasses, tutoring, or just a safe place to be, when these basic needs are met students can concentrate on what’s really important – learning.

CIS believes every child needs and deserves the five basics:

• A personal, one-on-one relationship with a caring adult
• A safe place to learn and grow
• A healthy start and a healthy future
• A marketable skill to use upon graduation
• A chance to give back to peers and community

Why Communities In Schools?
Dropping out of school spells economic disaster for young people. Nearly 57 percent of adult dropouts are not employed, compared to nearly 40 percent of adults who completed high school and only 24 percent who completed a bachelor’s degree. CIS provides a comprehensive solution to the issues that place young people in jeopardy of dropping out. Rather than duplicating services or competing with other youth-serving organizations or agencies, CIS identifies and mobilizes existing community resources and fosters cooperative partnerships for the benefit of students and families. Today, CIS is the national leader on school-based, integrated student support services.

Our Philosophy
Communities In Schools believes that caring, one-on-one relationships between adults and young people make the crucial difference. Programs don’t change kids – relationships do. CIS creates comprehensive, locally controlled and owned support systems around schools. In partnership with the local school system, CIS identifies the most critical needs of students and families – needs that are preventing children from succeeding in school, and in life. CIS then locates and coordinates community resources, dedicated volunteers and agencies to serve in partnership with the public schools, both during the day and after school, thereby making the work of our educators much more effective. Thus, coordination of effort and accountability for results are essential aspects of the service CIS provides – because, too often, well-meaning programs are not focused on overall school objectives. CIS ensures that the work of these outside agencies and volunteers is interconnected and integrated to provide the support schools need the most.