Our mission is to surround students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life.
BEING PRESENT MATTERS IN CHICAGO
As the challenges facing our students have increased, so has the need for Communities In Schools (CIS) of Chicago.
Because of CIS, students are more likely to come to school, stay in school, do better academically, and ultimately, graduate, prepared for continued success.
Testimony from principals, teachers, community organizations, and students continues to verify that the work we do matters.
Impact In Our Community
Chicago public-school students benefited from programs and services provided by or connected through CIS of Chicago.*
students in grades K-12 were served by CIS Student Supports Managers. They created plans to develop the skills and access the resources they need to succeed in school.*
schools were served by CIS of Chicago. Our team connected schools with community programs that addressed their unique needs.*
*Data from the 2023-24 school year
PROVIDING HOLISTIC SUPPORT
Chicago students and their families have endured unprecedented challenges since the start of the decade. Systemic challenges like poverty, community violence, and lack of investment have compounded since the pandemic with an increase in youth mental health issues, as well as significant learning loss.
Our team works to ensure that every student, regardless of their identity, ability, or zip code, has access to the resources and opportunity they need to be successful in the classroom and beyond.
🖊️ CALLING ALL CHICAGO MIDDLE SCHOOLERS! 🖊️
Your voice matters. Your words can change the world. ✨
Do The Write Thing invites 6th, 7th, and 8th graders to become community catalysts by exploring youth violence through powerful writing.
📝 STUDENTS WRITE, WE LISTEN 📝
🗓️ DEADLINE: January 30, 2026
🏆 TOP 100 AUTHORS recognized at special event May 5, 2026
✈️ One Chicago student selected as National Ambassador for Washington, D.C. summit in July!
Ready to make your voice heard? Visit the link below for submission details.
#DoTheWriteThing #ChicagoYouth #StudentVoices #writingmatters #YouthLeadership
An initiative of the National Campaign to Stop Violence, brought to Chicago students through Communities In Schools of Chicago in partnership with Latham & Watkins
drive.google.com/file/d/1bPVw9aSAIN7nknGoogT53mpMLUpy7LZy/view?usp=drive_link ... See MoreSee Less
Sign the Pledge and Show Up for Student Success!
September is Attendance Awareness Month and this school year, we’re calling on parents, teachers, and community members to help us tackle chronic absenteeism by signing the Pledge to Be Present. As the challenges facing our students have increased, so has the need for Communities In Schools. Because of CIS, students are more likely to come to school, stay in school, do better academically, and ultimately, graduate, prepared for continued success.
✅ When students show up, they succeed.
✅ When communities show up, students feel supported.
✅ When YOU sign the pledge, you’re part of the solution.
Being present every day matters for success in school and beyond. Join Communities In Schools and CareSource in supporting students through this powerful back-to-school initiative. Together, we’re building a culture of consistency, accountability, and achievement — one signature at a time.
📅 Goal: 2,500 signatures by Sep. 30
📍 Be part of the movement!
🔗 Sign the Pledge Now: cisnational.org/41pjOT2 ... See MoreSee Less
As a new school year enters full swing across our city, Communities In Schools (CIS) of Chicago is proud to expand our Intensive Program to 40 schools, a record number in our mission to surround students with a community of support to help them stay on the path to graduation.
You can help kick off the year with strength and purpose. A gift of $40 — in honor of our 40 schools — helps place dedicated adults in school buildings, ready to guide students through challenges, boost their confidence, and help them thrive.
Since founding the Intensive Program in 2009, fewer than 1% of students receiving case management support have dropped out. And the impact goes beyond graduation: students supported by CIS of Chicago attend school an average of 3 to 4 more days per year than their peers.
Being present matters.
www.cisofchicago.org/donate/ ... See MoreSee Less
The Art of Giving Foundation accepted one CIS of Chicago partner schools for their mural installation program! West Park STEAM Academy received their mural this Summer completed by youth from the community. CIS of Chicago is proud to support our community partners and school communities with this impactful connection. Check out the progress! ... See MoreSee Less
CIS of Chicago is excited to welcome 11 new schools to our Partnership Program for the 2025-2026 school year! As partnership schools, their students will receive access to no-cost programs and services from our 200+ community partners across the city. This past week, these new schools attended New School Orientation, where they met CIS staff and learned all the ins and outs of how to bring this high-quality programming to their school community! #newschoolyear ... See MoreSee Less
Back to school season is right around the corner! Last week, CIS of Chicago received a donation of 2,500 backpacks filled with school supplies from Cradles to Crayons of Chicago. CIS team members are hard at work distributing these backpacks to our partner schools across the city, ensuring that every student has the essentials they need to start the school year off strong! Cradles to Crayons Chicago ... See MoreSee Less
Thanks to a community nomination, CIS of Chicago is a Target Circle partner for July-September 2025! Vote for Communities In Schools of Chicago in your Target Circle app, or by visiting www.target.com/circle/community-voting. Thank you for your support of our work with young people across Chicago! #target #targetcircle #ALLIn4Kids ... See MoreSee Less
"Alone we can do so little. Together, we can do so much." We live that sentiment here at CIS of Chicago. Yesterday, we hosted our annual Summer Institute, a day of learning, collaboration, and connection to support our community partners. Check out some highlights- who doesn't love a great presenter gesture!?!? ... See MoreSee Less
Way to go, Samyrah! 🎉
Samyrah is one of this year's CIS Tenacity Award winners, and she ended her senior year celebrating all of her accomplishments throughout high school. We're so proud of her.
To learn more about CIS of Chicago's annual Tenacity Award celebrations and how our school-based team members support students throughout their educational journey, visit www.cisofchicago.org/programs/tenacity-awards/ ... See MoreSee Less
Seventh grader Jade recently returned from representing Chicago at Do The Write Thing's National Summit, and this week, she had the opportunity to chat about her experience with WBBM Newsradio.
Check out the full story here: www.audacy.com/wbbm780/news/local/chicago-student-recognized-for-essay-on-youth-violence
Jade's essay was chosen from more than 800 local submissions, and her writing shared ways that the city's young people are forced to navigate violence from an early age.
"I believe that when young people feel heard, safe and supported, they make better choices," Jade said in the interview. "Chicago has so many amazing kids with big dreams. They just need someone to believe in them and to protect them."
Our CIS team is proud to serve as a Do The Write Thing co-sponsor and provide opportunities for Chicago youth to share their perspective on such an important issue.
"This program is an opportunity for us to really elevate student voices and amplify what our young people are saying and recognize them as the experts of their communities," said Robin Koelsch, CIS' Chief Partnership Engagement Officer. ... See MoreSee Less
Chicago middle schooler recognized nationally for winning essay on youth violence
www.audacy.com
WBBM’s Carolina Garibay chats with 12-year-old Jade Lee, who recently won a national essay contest about youth violence. She wrote about the impacts of being forced to face violence at such a young ...We couldn’t be prouder of Jade, our Chicago "Do The Write Thing" Challenge 2025 ambassador, who spent this week visiting our nation’s capital and sharing her thoughts and ideas on violence reduction with Chicago legislators.
As a Do the Write Thing ambassador, Jade traveled to DC, along with her support system and CIS’ Chief Partnership Engagement Officer Robin Koelsch to attend the national Summit.
During the trip, Jade’s Do the Write Thing essay was added to the Library of Congress, the country’s largest library! 🖊️ ... See MoreSee Less
Congrats are in order for Sophie, one of this year’s CIS Tenacity Award winners! 🎊
Sophie worked directly with our Student Supports Manager Jessica on improving her communication skills, advocating for her needs at school, and building trust. Sophie ended the school year demonstrating strength and vulnerability in her words and actions, Jessica said.
Way to go, Sophie! ... See MoreSee Less