Our mission is to surround students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life.
UNLOCKING STUDENT POTENTIAL
For 35 years, Communities In Schools of Chicago has cultivated student potential throughout the city. Each year, our team at CIS of Chicago surrounds tens of thousands of young people with support so they can stay on their path to high school graduation and achieve in life.
When our young people succeed, our whole city succeeds. When they reach their potential, the future is bright.
Impact In Our Community
Chicago Public Schools students benefited from programs and services provided by or connected through CIS of Chicago.*
students in grades K-12 were served by Student Supports Managers. Together, they created a plan to develop the skills and access the resources these students need to reach their full potential.*
schools were served by CIS team members, who linked community partner programming that addressed student and school needs.*
*Data from the 2022-23 school year
PROVIDING HOLISTIC SUPPORT
Chicago’s public-school students and their families have endured unprecedented challenges since the start of the decade. A global pandemic, increased violence, and rising economic insecurity have taken a significant toll on our schools. The U.S. Surgeon General recently named mental health as an area of serious concern for today’s youth and issued a call to action for all caring adults.
CIS of Chicago responds to these challenges by ensuring that students have access to the supports they need to strengthen their mental health and overall wellbeing. Our team does this by providing direct services to individual students, as well as coordinating the supports provided by community partners, to bolster entire school communities.
Latest News
Chicago Tribune: When Strength, Resilience and #BlackGirlMagic is a Burden
The death of Lincoln University administrator Antoinette “Bonnie” Candia-Bailey by suicide “created a torrent of emotion,” the Chicago Tribune reports, “ultimately shining a light on
Chalkbeat Chicago: I lost a friend to gun violence when I was in high school. Now, I counsel Chicago students facing similar pain.
In a First Person essay published in Chalkbeat Chicago, CIS’ Latonya Booker shares how her experience with loss due to gun violence helped shape her
Barron’s: How to Make Sure Your Gift Hits the Mark
In this season of charitable giving, how can you ensure that your financial support best aligns with your organization of choice? Our CEO, Jane Mentzinger,
We can’t wait to gather with friends and supporters this week to build brighter futures for Chicago’s young people. Special thanks to one of our media sponsors, Massive Mission, for helping us develop a unique video for the occasion! 🎥 ... See MoreSee Less
This week, 2023 Chicago Ambassador for the National Campaign to Stop Violence - Do the Write Thing challenge had her voice heard by some of our nation’s leaders! Summer Bell from Eberhart Elementary School shared her award-winning essay with the Attorneys General from across the United States as part of the annual Symposium of the National Association of Attorneys General, held in Chicago this year. Our very own Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul got a chance to congratulate Summer and her mom. Summer also proudly shared the stage with Attorney General Schwalb from Washington, D.C., and Attorney General Yost from Ohio.
Communities In Schools of Chicago is proud to support Do the Write Thing and amplify the voices of young people as they share their thoughts on youth violence, its causes, and the solutions. Students write; we listen. ... See MoreSee Less
S/O to the team at Massive Mission for helping us bring our story to life for a special video project! We can’t wait to share the final product 🎥 ... See MoreSee Less
Meet Maria, our Director of Institutional Giving! Maria loves listening to live music, exploring new art, hiking, traveling, and spending quality time with friends and family.
What's her favorite part of the job? "Sharing my enthusiasm for advancing education equity for young people," Maria said, "and being able to build relationships with individuals who are invested in supporting our mission and impact."
We're happy to have you on the team, Maria! ... See MoreSee Less
With a presence at more than a third of Chicago Public Schools, our impact is city-wide — and we love when we can provide 1:1 support to young people throughout their entire educational journey.
Today, two of our high school Supports Managers, Katie and Arnetra, visited a CIS elementary school and spoke with eighth graders attending their schools next year about what to expect and the types of support they provide.
Students were so engaged and asked a lot of questions, said Supports Manager Juanita. ... See MoreSee Less
Mrs. Shlinda Greer is invested in the future of Chicago’s young people.
For the past eight years, she has worked in Chicago Public Schools — this year on the South Side teaching a college and career readiness seminar. She coaches high school volleyball and basketball. She just completed her principalship certification from Clark Atlanta University. And she’s currently working on her PhD.
When Mrs. Greer was looking for more ways to build her college and career curriculum this year and give students opportunities to connect with resources in their city, she reached out to the team at Communities In Schools (CIS) of Chicago.
Not only did Mrs. Greer have a personal connection to CIS — her daughter, Shontierra, serves as CIS’ Academic Enrichment Partnership Specialist — she also had a CIS Student Supports Manager embedded in her school community.
Learn more about how Mrs. Greer leaned on CIS of Chicago to create brighter futures for her students. ... See MoreSee Less
Mother and Daughter Invested in Community Impact - Communities In Schools of Chicago
www.cisofchicago.org
For the past eight years, she has worked in Chicago Public Schools – this year on the South Side teaching a college and career readiness seminar. She coachesSolar eclipse viewing today from CIS HQ! ☀️🌑 ... See MoreSee Less
Our Tech Operations Coordinator Sheila has been with CIS of Chicago for a little over a year, and the positive impact of her work is felt across the organization! We asked her what her favorite part of the job is, and she shared, "Finding solutions to issues that arise, meeting all my coworkers, and being able to walk to work." We appreciate you, Sheila! ... See MoreSee Less
Our Senior Director of Intensive Student Supports Shipra Panicker leads a team of nearly 40 individuals. One tool she has leaned on in her role as a supervisor is the Search Institute’s framework for Developmental Relationships.
The Search Institute defines developmental relationships as close connections through which young people “discover who they are, gain abilities to shape their own lives, and learn how to interact with and contribute to the world around them” through five key elements.
"I would make the case that the five elements of developmental relationships – express care, challenge growth, provide support, share power, and expand possibilities – are not just important tools for young people," Shipra said. "They can also be used by managers, particularly those in schools, to empower their team members to succeed."
Learn more about how she uses Developmental Relationships in her role here: ... See MoreSee Less
Using the Developmental Relationships Framework as a Tool for Managers - Communities In Schools of Chicago
www.cisofchicago.org
By Shipra Panicker, Senior Director of Intensive Student Supports, Communities In Schools of ChicagoCIS community partner Girls in the Game hosted a Free Game Day at UIC College Prep, A Noble School, complete with volleyball drills 🏐, goal-setting activities, conversations around self-care, and opportunities to connect. Thanks, Girls in the Game, for a great day! ... See MoreSee Less
Our CIS team works to connect schools with unique experiences, like this field trip we linked to Zapata Elementary. Recently, fifth graders and sixth graders visited the Chicago Blackhawks Fifth Third Arena to learn how to ice skate! ⛸
The team's mascot made an appearance, the students had the opportunity to tour the locker room, and the field trip ended with with a treat of hot chocolate and cookies. What an experience for young people and their families. ... See MoreSee Less
Seventh and eighth graders from Sawyer E.S. went on a field trip to the Museum of Contemporary Photography at Columbia College Chicago to explore the exhibit, Native America: In Translation last month, and they had the opportunity to see the works of nine Native artists and learn about the legacy of colonialism across North America.
CIS' Arts & Culture Partnership Specialist Katia Marzolf Borione helped connect Sawyer with the experience and was able to observe the learning in action! According to Katia, students were able to explore the images' connections to their own lives and even participated in a hands-on paper collage project. ... See MoreSee Less