What We Do
Strategic Partnerships

Communities In Schools has partnered with a number of corporations and organizations to maximize the power of existing community resources and connect them with students and families in need. We are grateful to these many organizations for their support and commitment and their dedicated, enthusiastic employees who are a key element in the success of the partnerships. Below is a list of our current partnerships and collaborations.

A Child’s Place - CIS staff work jointly with A Child’s Place personnel to broker resources and services to homeless children.

A Male’s Place - Staff of this agency conduct group counseling sessions with CIS students at the school.

Bank of America – Bank of America funds a CIS staff position and programming at Shamrock Gardens Elementary School. Through this collaboration, needs and services are provided to the entire school population of approximately 500 students.

Behavioral Health Center-Randolph - Mental Health staff participate in CIS staffings at the school and offer consultation and assistance in accessing needed services.

Best Friends – This is a national youth development program with a character-based abstinence curriculum for girls in grades 6-12.

Boy Scouts of Mecklenburg County - CIS and BSA have partnered at each middle and high school site, utilizing the Learning for Life program curriculum and the Explorers Clubs. Additionally, BSA offers unlimited use of Camp Grimes and Camp Clear Creek for CIS students.

Bruce Irons Camp Fund - Provides scholarships for CIS students to attend summer camps.

Central Piedmont Community College – This local community college offers the "Summer Bridge" program, which is designed to ease students’ transition from high school to college. Students can earn up to 6 hours of college credit by completing courses in Math, English, Reading, Computers, and Study Skills.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools – CMS administration and teachers work cooperatively with Communities In Schools (CIS) staff to coordinates services to students. CMS designates office space, and in some cases, computer equipment for CIS staff.

Christ Episcopal Church – This community of faith provides financial and volunteer support to Highland Renaissance Academy. CIS provides services for the entire student population at Highland.

Cogentrix Energy – This corporation funds numerous program services at the George T. Lewis Academic Center. The G.T. Lewis Academic Center houses two schools, Midwood Alternative High and Tate Teen-Age Parent Services (T.A.P.S.).

 – This organization provides perishable and prepared food items to Communities In Schools for student and parent events and activities.

Council for Children - This advocacy agency participates in efforts to promote needed services for students. CIS calls on CFC staff in cases where advocacy is needed to gain additional services and support.

Duke Power/Duke Energy Company – This company supports the National Groundhog Job Shadow Day program and provides assistance with overall strategic planning initiatives.

Foundation For The Carolinas – This foundation manages scholarship funds for our ThinkCOLLEGE® program.

Goodrich Corporation – This corporation funds a CIS staff position at Westerly Hills Elementary School. Through this collaboration, needs and services for over 150 students are provided.

Hands On Charlotte - CIS and HOC collaborate in community service projects. HOC’s annual "Coats for Kids" drive benefits CIS students.

Junior League of Charlotte - Members of JLC volunteer with CIS students through the Safe Journey initiative that supports teen mothers.

KinderMourn - CIS partners with KinderMourn to provides grief counseling for CIS students at select schools. KinderMourn also provides on-call services to assist in situations where loss has occurred.

LensCrafters – LensCrafters is part of a national collaborative to promote good vision care. This vendor provides vision equipment to students.

Love, Inc. - CIS consults with agencies about the needs of families; coordinates the pick-up of donated furniture and other needed items.

McCrorey Branch YMCA - CIS students participate in summer day camp at this YMCA branch. McCrorey provides discounts to CIS students to attend camp.

Mecklenburg County Dept. of Social Services (DSS) - CIS works with community social workers and families who receive T.A.N.F. (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) to connect the families with the services they need. DSS funds a number of Communities In Schools’ staff positions assigned to school sites (called "Site Coordinators").

Mecklenburg County Health Department - CIS works with school health nurses to coordinate health screenings and with dental hygienists to conduct dental screenings.

Myers Park Presbyterian Church - In a collaborative effort with CIS, this church provides college scholarship money (Patricia Fields Scholarship) to students with financial need, and "church buddies" (mentors) who sustain a relationship with the students throughout their college careers. Myers Park Presbyterian Church also provides financial support to CIS’s "College and Career Academy" at West Mecklenburg High School.

National Conference for Community and Justice - NCCJ and CIS collaborate to send students to Camp Anytown and participate in other student leadership opportunities. NCCJ provides scholarship assistance to CIS students.

N.C. Vocational Rehabilitation Office - CIS refers appropriate students to this state agency.

Partners in Out of School Time (P.O.S.T.)

Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County - CIS and the Public Library have partnered to develop the ThinkCOLLEGE® & Career Center, which is an extension of CIS’s ThinkCOLLEGE® program. The Career Center is open to all students in Mecklenburg County. The Center provides students with counseling and information about colleges, SAT preparation, college and financial aid applications, and scholarship searches. The Public Library provides space for The Center as well as printed resources to support the ThinkCOLLEGE® program.

Right Moves for Youth - In a number of school sites, CIS staff members serve as club leaders for this drop-out prevention program and participate in after-school activities sponsored by the club.

Saint Luke United Methodist Church - This church has adopted Shamrock Gardens Elementary School through CIS. This partnership includes the designation of volunteers and financial support for programming.

Second Harvest Food Bank - CIS sites utilize this resource for discounted snacks and other food items. CIS students earn community service hours by volunteering at the food bank.

Smart Start of Mecklenburg County – This agency funds the "Safe Journey" program, which provides services to teen mothers who have dropped out of school. Safe Journey is a collaborative effort between Smart Start, Communities In Schools, Mecklenburg Council on Adolescent Pregnancy, The Family Center, and the Junior League of Charlotte.

TeenHealth Connection - CIS youth receive health services and consultation and participate in group sessions.

The Family Center – The Family Center collaborates with Smart Start of Mecklenburg County, Communities In Schools, Mecklenburg Council on Adolescent Pregnancy, and the Junior League of Charlotte to administer the "Safe Journey" project, which coordinates services to teen mothers who have dropped out of school. The Family Center also assists CIS with the Families and Schools Together (F.A.S.T.) program. During the summer months, The Family Center’s new camp, "Tree Tops," will be available to CIS students.

United Family Services - UFS staff and CIS collaborate around F.A.S.T. (Families and Schools Together), a research based family-strengthening program. UFS staff conduct group counseling sessions at CIS school sites.

YMCA of Greater Charlotte - This collaborative effort includes the provision of 20 summer camp scholarships for elementary and middle school students. Additionally, this organization provides in-kind staff meeting/conference space in excess of 52 hours annually.
 

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