Press Release: Communities In Schools - Bay Area Announces Transformative Investment to Help Students Overcome Obstacles to Learning
February 3, 2022 9:00am (CT)
Contact: Peter C. Wuenschel, PhD, (713) 305-5638
Communities In Schools - Bay Area Announces Transformative Investment to Help Students Overcome Obstacles to Learning
February 3, 2022 (Clear Creek ISD & Dickinson ISD) - Communities In Schools - Bay Area (CIS – Bay Area) today announced it received an unprecedented gift of $2,000,000. CIS – Bay Area is a local affiliate of the national organization working to ensure every student, regardless of race, zip code, or history of marginalization has what they need to succeed in school and beyond.
This gift is part of a transformative $133.5 million donation from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott to the Communities In Schools Network and National Office. In addition to CIS – Bay Area, 40 affiliates of the 110 organizations in the CIS Network and the CIS National Office, were also direct recipients of the MacKenzie Scott donation.
In a time when the global pandemic has created unparalleled challenges for students and families, including experiences of social isolation, economic crisis, stress, and trauma, this investment will help CIS – Bay Area to carry out its cause to break down the systemic barriers that stand in the way of opportunity and student success. This is tremendous fuel for impact, infrastructure, and the people working inside schools, but it does not change the reality of the continued work ahead, and the public and private partnership that must remain true.
“The CIS – Bay Area Board of Directors and staff are deeply grateful for this very generous gift,” said Dr. Peter Wuenschel, Executive Director of CIS – Bay Area which currently serves over 22,000 students in 24 schools. “The timing of this gift is significant. We are at the beginning stages of developing our next 3-year Strategic Plan. This unexpected donation will help us realize a much needed expansion of our services and ensure our program will continue in perpetuity. We are incredibly honored and grateful to receive this generous gift and look forward to announcing our formal plans for this funding in the next few months.”
For three decades, CIS - Bay Area has demonstrated measurable success in student outcomes. In the 2020-2021 school year, 99% of students enrolled in CIS - Bay Area’s programs remained in school, with 96% of K-11 students being promoted to the next grade, and 98% of seniors graduating or receiving a GED.
Communities In Schools – Bay Area’s school-based staff work inside schools and establish one-on-one relationships with students to help them navigate issues and move beyond barriers in the classroom, at home, and in the community. CIS – Bay Area coordinates with schools and local service providers to meet the needs of students and families, as well as providing critical resources, like food, housing, healthcare, counseling, and more so that students (and educators) can focus on academics.
CIS – Bay Area believes that transformative relationships are key to unlocking a student's potential. Our staff and community partners coordinate with schools to improve school climate; boost socio-emotional skills among students, teachers, and staff; and reduce barriers to academic success. By putting students at the center of our efforts, CIS - Bay Area gives each student the opportunity to have the best educational experience possible to start them on the path to a successful future.