Introducing Our Newest Partner!

In October of 2012, Band Together announced its 2014 partner, Communities In Schools of Durham and Communities In Schools of Wake County.  That’s right – this year we will be partnering with two organizations, “spreading the wealth” as they say.  But what does Communities in Schools do for students?  Allow us to introduce you…Communities In Schools (CIS) collaborates with local public schools, businesses, social service providers, and healthcare providers within the community to provide support and empowerment to students identified as at risk of dropping out.  Founded in 1970, CIS was the brainchild of a youth advocate in New York who recognized that students were more likely to succeed when supported by their community.  Through creating an environment of healthy relationships with successful members of the community, students are able to envision themselves being successful.Working from within the school building, CIS connects students and their families with academic and non-academic services in the community that will assist them in achieving a high school diploma and beyond.  On-site coordinators in the schools work with school officials and staff to identify struggling students who may be at risk, and address the academic and social needs of the students to help them succeed.  They then work with the community to provide students and their families all the necessary resources to stay in school and graduate.CIS was established in North Carolina in 1989, and has been growing ever since.  In 2011, Communities In Schools of North Carolina reported a whopping 98 percent of monitored students stayed in school. And, 92 percent of seniors monitored graduated.Over the next 12 months we’ll be getting more and more involved with our new partner, learning about them and the students who are part of CIS of Durham and CIS of Wake County. We’ll also have hands-on opportunities to volunteer and interact with these two awesome programs.Sign up for email notifications to learn about our “Roadies” volunteer events, and keep up with us on the website as we join in this partnership to increase graduation rates in Durham and Wake Counties.