About Us
What We Do
Ensuring student success is everyone’s job: schools, parents, communities.
In over 200 communities across 27 states, Communities In Schools works closely with schools, social services, businesses and thousands of volunteers to get young people the things they need to learn and grow: mentors and tutors, after-school help, family services to stabilize the home. Without these basic supports, kids in need or at-risk are far less likely to succeed and grow into productive adults. In every county in Georgia, Family Connection brings together community partners to address the needs of children, youth, and their families. In Athens, Family Connection and Communities In Schools are the same organization.
Family Connection-Communities In Schools of Athens (FC-CIS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that has served at-risk students in Athens since 1992. FC-CIS surrounds students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life. We are a community working together for all children to succeed in school and in life. We are a partnership of ninety organizations working with families to research the needs of children and families in our community, and to work together to address those needs. Family Connection-Communities In Schools of Athens is the official planning and coordinating body for services for children and families in our community.
Getting kids what they need – when they need it
Children are individuals with very individualized needs. Our school-site coordinators respond quickly, on a case-by-case basis to get kids what they need — when they need it. Help can be as simple as providing eyeglasses to a child in need or as intensive as after-school tutoring; it all depends on the child.
Proven, Evidence-based Strategy
Communities In Schools is the only dropout prevention program in the nation proven to increase graduation rates.
Recent third-party findings confirm: Of the many organizations working to improve student outcomes, Communities In Schools, through coordination of services, is proven to be more effective, and results in higher graduation rates, and higher percentages of students reaching proficiency in math and reading.*
About Us
About Family Connection
Family Connection is in every county in Georgia and envisions a Georgia where all children are healthy, ready to start school and do well when they get there, and where every family is stable and self-sufficient.
The key to strengthening Georgia’s families is collaboration at the local level to develop and implement plans based on each community’s needs. Every collaborative organization coordinates a planning process that:
- identifies needs and resources
- sets goals and priorities
- evaluates strategies, programs, and practices
- measures and reports results.
Local Family Connection organizations are focused on improving child and family well-being in five areas:
- healthy children
- children ready to start school
- children succeeding in school
- stable, self-sufficient families, and
- strong communities
About Communities In Schools
Communities In Schools is the nation’s largest dropout prevention organization.
The mission of Communities In Schools is to surround students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life.
By bringing caring adults into the schools to address children’s unmet needs, CIS provides the link between educators and the community. The result: teachers are free to teach, and students – many in jeopardy of dropping out – have the opportunity to focus on learning.
For over 30 years, Communities In Schools has worked to ensure that every child needs and deserves these “Five Basics”:
- A one-on-one relationship with a caring adult
- A safe place to learn and grow
- A healthy start and a healthy future
- A marketable skill to use upon graduation
- A chance to give back to peers and community