Greenville Public Schools partners with the Mid-Delta Workforce Alliance to implement a Communities In Schools program in our school district. Communities In Schools (CIS) is the nation's leading community-based organization helping kids to succeed in school and prepare for life.

On any given day, an estimated 28 million school children need something to do between the time school gets out and their parents come home. Communities throughout the United States are responding with after-school programs that provide a safe place for children to be while encouraging academic enrichment.

Millions of young people have lost the traditional safety nets that previously provided love and security even when the nuclear family was in trouble. Extended families, close-knit neighborhoods, a church, a synagogue or mosque - all could be counted on to respond when these kids cried out for help. But now, the safety net is too often stretched to the breaking point.

Our society has tried to respond to this crisis with fragments solutions. We deal with symptoms - poverty, drugs, illiteracy - as if each could be cured on its own. But only one thing will cure the symptoms of disconnection. That is community. We need to build a new "community" around kids, a new "safety net."

The five basic elements of CIS are:

A personal, one-on-one relationship with an adult who cares

A safe place for children to learn and grow

A marketable skill a child can use after graduation

A chance to "give back" to their community and

A healthy start.

Who makes CIS work?

Students

The students themselves guarantee CIS success. This program helps kids help themselves.

Parents

Parents give their approval and support to each child's participation in CIS. They become involved, volunteer their time and often benefit themselves from parenting classes and other family-skills initiatives.

School Superintendent

The superintendent is the crucial player who approves CIS' presence in each community. He or she invites CIS to explore the feasibility of establishing a program in the public schools.

School Principal

The principal leads the school's partnership with the CIS team, chairing meetings to introduce CIS to teachers and administrators and making CIS an integral part of the life of the school.

Teachers

Teachers know their students better than anyone else at the school. The refer young people for needed services and create lesson plans with other members of the CIS team.

Social Service Providers

Career and college counselors, health  professionals, drug-education specialists and many others all work together to treat each student's needs holistically.

Local Businesspeople

These people provide invaluable resources to the CIS program: employee mentors, job-shadowing opportunities, part-time and summer jobs for students and in-kind donations of supplies and equipment.

Local Government Leaders

These leaders help create access to public agency services. A mayor, county council chair or school board representative can be a powerful advocate for this process.

Religious Leaders

Volunteers from religious congregations play an important role in CIS. Often many churches, synagogues and mosques open their doors for after-school activities.

Community Volunteers

These volunteers serve as tutors, mentors and role models for young people. The spirit of volunteerism is essential for any community-based program. This helps to forge the vital one-on-one relationship that will connect with children.

For more information on how you can participate in CIS, please call:
334-7134 or 334-7143.