At Communities In Schools, we see potential in every student - and we're committed to helping them see it too. It's not always easy. Thousands of kids across the country face overwhelming roadblocks to their academic and personal success. Learning disabilities. Homelessness. Bullying. The emotional effects of trauma. Untreated medical or dental conditions. A lack of school supplies and clothes. We're in schools to spot and overcome the roadblocks in our students' way.
Communities In Schools Founder, Bill Milliken began CIS in New York City in the 1970’s. He came up with the idea of bringing community resources inside public schools-where they are accessible, coordinated and accountable. “It’s relationships, not programs, that change children,” Bill once said. “A great program simply creates the environment for healthy relationships to form between adults and children. Young people thrive when adults care about them on a one-to-one level, and when they also have a sense of belonging to a caring community.”
Started in 1983, Communities In Schools of Eastern PA is part of the Communities In Schools national network, which consists of independent 501(c)(3) organizations serving over 1.6 million students in 25 states and the District of Columbia. CIS of Eastern PA has grown to serve more than 38,000 students across 40+ schools in 14 school districts - and our 40 years of success in schools makes us a student supports leader that our community can count on.
THE FIVE BASICS
Developed by Communities In Schools founder, Bill Milliken, the Five Basics are a set of essentials that we believe every child needs and deserves - and we're doing whatever it takes to ensure all of our students have access to: