Click here for United Way of Denton County Service Directory (.doc)
2006-2007
Annual Report
(pdf format)
There is no single reason why students drop out of school. Nor is dropping out of school a sudden decision. Dropping out is a result of a long process of disengagement that may begin even before a child enters school. It is a cumulative process, brought about by any number of individual, family, community or school risk factors. More than 1/3 of the students who drop out of high school fail to make the transition from 9th to 10th grade. Repeating a grade is the most significant school related risk factor associated with dropping out. In the area that CISNT serves, the number of students that are economically disadvantaged increased 30% in the last two years.
May 17, 2008
Omni Hotel at Park West
635 and Luna Rd in Dallas
Upcoming Mentor Orientations
(Click on dates for detailed information)
Thank you to all the runners at Savannah's 1st Annual 1K Walk/5K Run-Walk benefitting CISNT
On Saturday, May 3, 2008, 100 runners competed in Savannah's 1st Annual 1K/5K Run-Walk. The run began at Savannah Elementary school and wound through scenic greenbelts. Cash awards were given out to the 5K event winners, with a record set of completing the course in 17 minutes! Thank you to all the competitors, volunteers, and Savannah for making this run possible!
Lewisville girl, 7, gives the gift of reading to an elementary school in need
Lewisville: Girl, 7, would rather share her love of reading than get giftsBy SHAWN FLOYD / The Dallas Morning News
Hedrick Elementary School in Lewisville needed books, and Emmerson McGowan saw to it that the need was met.
It all started when she turned 7 in January. Emmerson told friends and family she didn't want gifts. Instead, she wanted books she could give to others. Click here to read article.
CISNT profiled in Living Magazine
Communities In Schools of North Texas was profiled in the March 2008 edition of Living Magazine.
Communities In Schools of North Texas Celebrates "Masterpieces in the Making"
"Every child is a masterpiece in the making. Through education, family support and enriching life experiences they can become a living, breathing work of art.
Unfortunately, there are thousands of children in our community who have little chance of realizing their potential without our help. That’s where Communities In Schools of North Texas comes in – by bringing together the compassion and vast resources from the community to support at-risk children.
Texas Association of Business Endorses Communities In Schools Dropout Prevention Programs
Lewisville, TX – February 19, 2008: The Texas Association of Business (TAB) has endorsed Communities In Schools (CIS) and their statewide dropout prevention programs. CIS of North Texas serves students at risk of dropping out of school in Denton and Wise counties.
“CIS is of interest to Texas businesses for two reasons” states Bill Hammond, TAB President. “First, the program fosters community development by working with at-risk school children to provide them the tools that will keep them off the streets and in the classroom. Secondly, CIS strives to help its students gain a marketable skill that can be put to use in the workforce.”
Capital One Bank Invests in Education in Lewisville ISD with Grant to Communities In Schools of North Texas
Lewisville , TX – January 23, 2008: Capital One Bank awarded $25,000 to Communities In Schools of North Texas (CISNT) for their work in Lewisville with students who are at-risk of dropping out of school. The grant from Capital One Bank allows CISNT dropout prevention staff working full time at Central ES, DeLay MS, Hedrick ES, Hedrick MS and Lakeland ES to continue to provide case management services, basic needs services and coordination of dropout prevention programs including CISNT’s mentoring program.
Speedway Children's Charities Awards CISNT with $2,000 Grant
Communities In Schools of North Texas was honored with a $2,000 grant from the Speedway Children’s Charities – Texas Chapter, on Tuesday, December 4, 2007 during the annual Christmas Tree Lighting and Grant Ceremony. Lara Varcoe, Campus Manager from Seven Hills Elementary and six students in her program, along with Amanda Allen, Campus Manager at Prairie View Elementary, accepted the award. They are pictured above with Speedway Children's Charities board trustees Betty Rutherford and Pete Hammerle. CISNT will expand our successful career awareness and workforce exploration program that will allow students to discover post-secondary education and workforce options. CISNT day at UNT is made possible in part because of Speedway Children’s Charities – Texas Chapter’s investment in the successful future of each student participating in our program.General Electric Donates $45,000 to Communities In Schools of North Texas
Lewisville, TX – December 12, 2007:General Electric (GE) presented two grant awards to Communities In Schools of North Texas (CISNT) at the Lewisville ISD school board meeting Monday night totaling $45,000 for their work in LISD schools. CISNT and GE began working together to help students in LISD who are at-risk of completing school on time more than 5 years ago when GE employees began volunteering as mentors in CISNT’s dropout prevention program. The grant awards, presented by Ms. Kristin Larimore, GE Volunteer & Philanthropy committee leader, follow a commitment earlier this year of nearly 100 GE volunteers serving as mentors through CISNT in LISD.
Texas Association of School Boards Texas Lone Star Magazine - Why Texas Changed It’s Definition of DropoutsThe November 2007 Issue of Texas Lone Star, a publication of the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB), focuses on the dropout challenge. The article “Movers, Leavers and Completers” on page 13 describes why CIS programs are a key partner to helping students at risk of dropping out of school succeed.
CISNT to begin TARMAC program with Denton County Juvenile Probation
Lewisville, TX – November 12, 2007: The Texas Juvenile Probation Commission recently awarded the Denton County Juvenile Probation Department and Communities In Schools of North Texas (CISNT) two years funding for intensive case management and mentoring programming for Lewisville students serving juvenile probation. The program called TARMAC – “Take Action, Reintegrate, Make A Change”, will provide high school and middle school students support as they re-enter their school from alternative education programs. Click here to read more.
EDS Foundation Awards $30,000 Grant to Communities In Schools of North Texas
PLANO, Texas – EDS today announced that the EDS Foundation has approved a $30,000 grant to Communities In Schools of North Texas (CISNT) to further its mission in providing direct services in 21 public schools in Denton and Wise counties. The Lewisville-based organization serves 2,100 children and youth who are victims of poverty that put them at risk for academic failure.
CIS Founder, Bill Milliken, Turns Author, and Costco Tells His Story
In the October issue of the Costco Connection, Communities In Schools founder, Bill Milliken shares his thoughts on the US Dropout epidemic, how to keep kids in school and alarming findings from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. A must read for CISNT volunteers and friends!
Stopping the Dropout Epidemic
How we can keep kids in schools and build a better future
By Tim Talevich, Associate Editor of the Costco Connection
See those kids hanging out on the corner, dropouts with idle time and without a job, in Anytown, USA? Somebody else’s kids, somebody else’s problem, right? Not so, argues Bill Milliken. There’s a dropout epidemic in America—a relatively ignored issue that actually affects us all. Each year in
this country, almost a third of public high school students fail to graduate with their class. A report issued in 2006 by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation indicated that there are 3.5 million dropouts between 16 and 25 years old, and statistically they’re more likely to be unemployed, live in poverty, experience poor health, depend on social services and end up in jail than their graduating classmates. In fact, on any given day, more young male dropouts are in prison than on a job. Click here to read more.
The Village Church and CISNT Partner to provide over 200 volunteer mentors to students at risk of dropping out of school
Following a huge investment of sweat equity in CISNT families and programs over the summer, The Village Church (Highland Village and Denton) challenged members to give more by investing an hour a week in the life of an at-risk student in their community. The congregation accepted that challenge, and on Sunday, October 14th more than 200 individuals attended a CISNT orientation and mentor training at the Village Church campus in Denton. The depth of this partnership is exactly what is needed to truly impact students and make lasting change in the community. Thank you to the Village Church leadership for their trust in Communities In Schools of North Texas, and especially to the individuals who are willing to give so much of themselves. Click here to see Gary Henderson, CISNT Executive Director, address volunteers from The Village Church about the trials and rewards of mentoring.
The
mission of Communities In
Schools of North Texas, Inc...
is to be the proven leader in coordinating and providing community based solutions that challenge young people to overcome barriers, succeed in school and prepare for life.
Communities In Schools of North Texas is a subdivision of a national nonprofit organization, which utilizes a multi-disciplinary approach to decrease the rate of students who drop out of school and increase the number of students who are promoted, pass the TAKS test and ultimately graduate from high school. Each year, over 27,000 students drop out of school in Texas. School dropouts often become unemployed workers, serve time in prison and appear on welfare rolls. Over 80% of prison inmates are high school dropouts, and dropouts are three times more likely to live in poverty than high school graduates. We believe that dropouts are not a school problem, rather a community problem.
Communities In Schools strives to develop public and private partnerships designed to link youth at risk of dropping out of school with the human services they need to achieve academic success. CIS recognizes that youth face many challenging issues such as gangs, drugs, pregnancy, domestic violence, poverty, learning disabilities, etc. which place a heavy burden on both the students and the school system. CIS serves the community by alleviating some of the stress placed on the school staff, coordinating fragmented social service agencies, and removing the barriers which often prevent students from staying in school.
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