Our mission is to surround students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life.
WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO REACH GRADUATION DAY?
It takes a community of support from kindergarten through senior year. Communities In Schools of Chicago plays this vital role.
We connect schools with essential programs that support students on their path to success, and we provide tailored, one-on-one guidance to young people who need it most.
For more than 35 years, Communities In Schools of Chicago has served as a steady presence in the city, doing whatever it takes for schools to succeed and for young people to thrive.
Impact In Our Community
Chicago Public Schools students benefited from programs and services provided by or connected through CIS of Chicago.*
students in grades K-12 were served by Student Supports Managers. Together, they created a plan to develop the skills and access the resources these students need to reach their full potential.*
schools were served by CIS team members, who linked community partner programming that addressed student and school needs.*
*Data from the 2023-24 school year
PROVIDING HOLISTIC SUPPORT
Chicago’s public-school students and their families have endured unprecedented challenges since the start of the decade. A global pandemic, increased violence, and rising economic insecurity have taken a significant toll on our schools. The U.S. Surgeon General recently named mental health as an area of serious concern for today’s youth and issued a call to action for all caring adults.
CIS of Chicago responds to these challenges by ensuring that students have access to the supports they need to strengthen their mental health and overall wellbeing. Our team does this by providing direct services to individual students, as well as coordinating the supports provided by community partners, to bolster entire school communities.
Congrats, Steven! 🎉
Steven is one of this year’s CIS Tenacity Award winners, which means he set strong goals at the beginning of the school year, and with the help of his Student Supports Manager, Ms. O., he persevered and made tremendous progress.
We love how he describes what it felt like to receive a Tenacity Award, his hopes for next year, and how important it is to have someone like Ms. O. at his school. ... See MoreSee Less
Huge congrats to our Arts & Culture Partnership Specialist, Katia Marzolf Borione! Katia was honored last night by the Art of Giving Foundation as a nominee for their Who's Who in Chicago - Philanthropy Edition!
Katia was recognized for her philanthropic leadership and unwavering commitment to making a difference, along with other outstanding Chicagoans dedicated to promoting the arts.
At the event, Katia had an opportunity to connect with other local arts organizations and share more about the work we do at Communities In Schools of Chicago. She also shared how her own Chicago Public Schools experience in the arts propels her personal mission of bringing the arts to as many Chicago students as she can through CIS.
Way to go, Katia! ... See MoreSee Less
What a school year it has been! Our CIS students have set goals to achieve in school and beyond, and with the help of our Intensive team members, they’ve made tremendous progress.
Each year, our team recognizes one student at each of our Intensive schools who set goals and persevered with a CIS Tenacity Award 🎉
Over the next few weeks, we’ll share a look at some of these outstanding students. Stay tuned! ... See MoreSee Less
Through the work of our Partnership Team, we connected high school students at Solorio High School with an interactive field trip at the Chicago Architecture Center last week!
The experience allowed them to dive into the concept of creating community and what makes a well-rounded neighborhood. First, students identified what they appreciate in their own neighborhoods. Then, they designed a community with their groups and built an infrastructure in a miniature scale. The experience connected directly with what they were learning in the classroom.
Thanks to our Arts and Culture Partnership Specialist Katia Marzolf Borione and our Associate Director of School Partnerships Clare Spaulding for working to create this connection! Thanks also to WGN TV for coming out to report on this amazing field trip. ... See MoreSee Less
𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.
𝘙𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘯𝘫𝘰𝘺𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴. 𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘦.
It's the end of the school year, and we at CIS are feeling an extraordinary amount of appreciation for our school partners and community partners, who show up each and every day for Chicago students.
Their dedication is inspiring -- and we couldn't do this work without their collaboration and partnership.
This month, we shared our appreciation with them at our annual end-of-year event, where we celebrated them as the real-life superheroes they are.
Here are some snapshots from the fun-filled day! ... See MoreSee Less
Last year, a quarter of Chicago's high schoolers missed at least 35 days of the school year — double the number of students who missed that much school in 2019.
Chronic absenteeism is an issue that our team at CIS of Chicago works to address, both with individual student support and resource connection.
This month, WBEZ highlighted our work at Farragut High School. There, Bethany Cooper-Nelson, one of our Student Supports Managers, meets with students and provides the one-on-one guidance they need to come to school and stay in school.
In the article, linked below, WBEZ highlighted Bethany's work and shared the story of one of our CIS students, Carmelia.
"Cooper-Nelson chats with Carmelia about their shared love of the graphic romance novel series 'Heartstopper.' She also hands out snacks and helps Carmelia stay organized and turn in assignments. But more than that, Cooper-Nelson sees Carmelia daily, holding her accountable and making sure she knows she matters."
#BeingPresentMatters ... See MoreSee Less
Why are Chicago high schoolers missing so much school?
projects.chalkbeat.org
A quarter of CPS high school students were absent 35 days or more last school year. That’s double the number of missed days the state flags as concerning.Mental Health First Aid: A Necessary Skill for Any Adult Who Interacts with Young People ... See MoreSee Less
Mental Health First Aid: A Necessary Skill for Any Adult Who Interacts with Young People
cisnational.org
Mental Health First Aid empowers adults to recognize when someone is experiencing a mental health crisis — and it gives them the tools they need …Managing everyday work challenges can be difficult for anyone, but for those in the helping professions, like social work, counseling, public health, and education, the pressures can be particularly acute.
Our team at CIS of Chicago knows that in order for students to thrive, our staff members must have the strategies and resources they need to manage challenges, not only for the students and families they are supporting, but also for themselves.
That’s why at the beginning of the school year, CIS of Chicago prioritized creating opportunities for the team to build professional resilience.
In our latest Medium piece, we hear from Lo Patrick, CIS' Director of Clinical and SEL Services, and Stephanie Estrada, CIS' Learning and Training Coordinator, about how the organization is supporting school-based staff, empowering supervisors, and expanding trainings in the 2025-26 school year.
Read the full piece here: ... See MoreSee Less
Building Professional Resilience and Supporting the CIS Team
cisofchicago.medium.com
Managing everyday work challenges can be difficult for anyone, but for those in the helping professions, the pressures can be particularly…This morning, our COO and Clinical Director, Dr. Judith Allen, visited the Fox 32 Chicago studios to share a consistent trend we're seeing in our 239 partner schools.
For five years running, bullying prevention has been a No. 1 priority for CIS schools, and our team works to meet this need in a variety of ways -- from connecting community programs and resources to providing individual student support.
To stem bullying, one action that we invite any Chicagoan to engage in is Youth Mental Health First Aid training, which empowers participants to say something when they see something!
Watch the full interview here (www.fox32chicago.com/video/1640335) and sign up for Youth Mental Health First Aid here (www.cisofchicago.org/mhfa/). ... See MoreSee Less
𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸’𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁, 𝗕𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀!
During the event, we had the opportunity to share why it’s critical that Chicago’s students are surrounded with support – and why CIS of Chicago’s steady presence in the city helps kids stay in school and on the path to graduation.
We had the privilege of hosting one of our school partners, Principal Daniel de los Reyes of Darwin Elementary, who shared his experience with CIS. “When you’re fighting to meet the needs, you don’t need more programs,” he said. “You need people who show up, stay present, and stay committed. And that’s exactly what CIS has done for our students.”
We also had the chance to recognize Mark Brady as our 2025 Inspiring Leader. Mark has served on CIS of Chicago’s Board of Directors since 2016, and he became Board Chair in 2021. Mark’s leadership and strategic thinking helped chart a course for CIS of Chicago deepening its impact to more schools and more students.
Finally, we had the opportunity to stand together, as a community, and show up for the city’s students.
We couldn’t be more grateful for the nearly 300 guests who joined us. With their support, our team raised more than $800,000! This support allows us to continue empowering students to stay in school and achieve in life.
If you’d like to invest in our team’s work and ensure that 80,000 students receive the resources and one-on-one guidance they need to succeed, visit our website at www.cisofchicago.org/donate/ ... See MoreSee Less
Congratulations to seventh grader Jade Lee who was named the 2025 Chicago "Do The Write Thing" Challenge national ambassador!
Jade was recognized at this week’s celebration dinner, along with the top 100 student authors.
She and her fellow students shared their thoughts on the causes of youth violence and proposed change ideas, and their words were powerful.
Our team at CIS of Chicago is thrilled to co-sponsor this impactful writing challenge, and we’re grateful to our friends at Latham & Watkins, the Do the Write Thing readers, volunteers, families, community partners, and educators who help make all of this happen.
We look forward to cheering Jade on this summer as she attends the Do The Write Thing National Summit in Washington, D.C.! ... See MoreSee Less
It’s Teacher and School Staff Appreciation Week! 🎉
We are so grateful for our Chicago Public Schools educators and school leaders whose dedication to students is unmatched! Our team could not do this work without their partnership.
And we, in turn, know how important it is for them to have space for self-care.
Last month, our School Partnership Team hosting an event for 50 educators, which featured yoga and movement-based activities, stress relief, art, and professional connection.
Here was some feedback we heard:
📢 “This was such an amazing event! All activities gave us time to reflect and can be applied to our school.”
📢 “To say this was amazing would be an understatement. I loved everything about this workshop.”
📢 “Awesome way to relax and take care of me.”
Wishing our school leaders and educators all the best in these final weeks of the school year! ... See MoreSee Less