Community Connections
a newsletter for our friends, supporters and partners
Happy Thanksgiving & Holiday Season
Improved Grades, Attendance and Behavior
At Communities In Schools of Central Texas, we measure our success by the results our young people achieve. CIS delivers higher attendance and greater student achievement by providing caring relationships with trained professionals. Our skilled social workers inspire kids to come to school, and remove the barriers that keep students from learning, like hunger, trauma at home, and unmet mental health needs. 

Last year, of the students served intensively by CIS:

  • 99% completed the school year enrolled in school
  • 84% improved in grades, attendance, or behavior
  • 89% reduced or maintained the number of discipline referrals received
  • 39% improved attendance, equating to 15,294 additional days of instruction and $688,238 in Average Daily Attendance (ADA) revenue for school districts
CIS Volunteers, a Community of Support
Communities In Schools of Central Texas has 414 volunteers who are meeting individually or in small groups with students every week for the 2017-18 school year. These reading buddies, mentors, tutors, and success coaches are a deeply committed and diverse group of community members who provide young people in need with caring, adult relationships. Our volunteers are champions for student success, providing a listening ear, and supportive guidance. CIS volunteers are all in for kids!

LBJ High School Graduate Robby Joseph
Communities In Schools alumnus Robby Joseph graduated from LBJ High School in 2017. In his junior year, Robby spoke to a group of CIS supporters at the annual CIS Partners Appreciation Luncheon. That summer, Robby was selected to participate in the competitive Bank of America Student Leaders internship program. CIS Volunteer Program Coordinator Kristin Walker recently caught up with Robby on the Austin Community College campus. Robby is enrolled at ACC where he is studying business. He is working on campus for the Student Life Department, and enjoying his first semester of college.
#GivingTuesday
Communities In Schools will once again be participating in the national #GivingTuesday movement to kick off our year-end fundraising efforts. Giving Tuesday was started in 2012 as a way to highlight and encourage community support of nonprofits, and as a reminder (after Black Friday and Cyber Monday) that the holiday season is not just one of consumerism, but of giving, too. The year-end fundraising appeal is our most important and largest of the year. Our goal is to raise $55,000 by December 31st and we need your help to reach this ambitious goal! To encourage year-round support of our students, you can easily set up a recurring monthly gift to CIS. Another way you can help is by reaching out to community members who may not have given to CIS before. We hope that you will follow CIS on Facebook , Instagram, and Twitter, LIKE and SHARE information about our Giving Tuesday efforts, forward our emails, and help make this a successful season of support for CIS! 
CIS Alumni Group Formed
On August 22, a group of former CIS students joined together to form the CIS Alumni Leadership Committee for  Communities In Schools of Central Texas . The goal of this group is to engage with other CIS alumni, provide networking opportunities for former CIS students, and to build a community of alumni working together, supporting one another, and giving back to young people as volunteers and advocates. The group volunteered at this year's Food for Thought event and they are currently planning spring events.

CIS CEO Welcomes AmeriCorps Members at City Hall Swearing-In Event
On October 13 at City Hall, the ServeAustin Collaborative and Austin Mayor Steve Adler announced that Austin has been selected by Service Year Alliance as one of four inaugural Service Impact Communities. CIS CEO Suki Steinhauser emceed the AmeriCorps swearing-in ceremony on the steps of City Hall, where Mayor Adler shared the news. ServeAustin was formed in 2015 by the local AmeriCorps organizations that provide direct service to low-income youth and adults in Central Texas, including Communities In Schools of Central Texas. ServeAustin programs bring nearly $14 million annually to address local needs, and represents about 550 AmeriCorps members. This year, CIS AmeriCorps members will mentor and tutor 1,200 students on 51 campuses in six Central Texas school districts.
Communities In Schools of Central Texas surrounds students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life.