Communities In Schools of Memphis

Communities In Schools of Memphis (CISM) is a fully-accredited affiliate of the National CIS Network - the nation’s leading dropout prevention organization, with a mission to surround students with a community of support empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life. Beginning in 2014 CISM has connected needed community resources to schools. By bringing caring adults and a wide variety of services into schools to address children’s unmet needs, CISM provides a link between educators and the community. CISM has used its evidenced-based model of Integrated Student Supports to empower success for all students (K-12) by removing barriers for students at risk of dropping out, keeping kids in schools and on the path to graduation and leveraging evidence, relationships, and local resources to drive results.

Communities In Schools of Memphis (CISM) aims to be a catalyst towards systemic educational improvement in Memphis, TN. Communities In Schools founders realized that one of the root causes of academic failure for at-risk students was the lack of resources available to meet non-academic needs. Resources were needed like one-on-one relationships with caring adults, a safe place to learn and grow, a healthy start and a healthy future, and a chance to find a secure, fulfilling role among peers and in the community. CISM developed a model bringing resources inside public schools--easily accessible and customized to individual students and communities. Following a rigorous data driven model, dedicated staff, called Student Support Specialists and College and Career Specialists, are embedded inside each of our 15 partner schools. Whether it's tutoring, eyeglasses, counseling, or food, our staff will broker and leverage existing resources in the community to meet all students' needs.

The Integrated Student Supports program ensures Student Support Specialists provide multiple interventions. Tier 1 services, also known as school-wide services, are provided to all students, regardless of their dropout risk level. Examples include leadership training, health fairs, anti-violence campaigns, attendance initiatives, and motivational speakers. Tier 2 and 3 services are similar to case management and provide targeted and sustained interventions for specific students over an extended period of time. Examples of Tier 2 and 3 services include one-on-one mentoring, academic tutoring, connections to medical, counseling and mental health resources, and recreational and extracurricular engagement through community partners.

The College and Career Readiness program empowers our students to unlock their full potential. We recognize that education is a journey – and that our rising juniors and seniors need support as they explore “what’s next.” Through a relationship with our College and Career Specialist, students are prepared to explore postsecondary options for their lives including, pursuing postsecondary education, entering the workforce, or enlisting in the military. We are confident that our work in this area will yield students that are well-equipped and prepared after high school graduation for their next moves. “Next moves” could include attending the University of Memphis on scholarship, joining the workforce at a Memphis-based company like FedEx, AutoZone or International Paper or learning a lucrative trade which supports our growing economy. We recognize that there is not one clear path to success, and that our support should be adaptable and equitable to the needs of our students.

The Care Coordination program empowers families to make seamless connections to critical community-based resources that are tailored to meet the specific needs of the whole family to advance towards economic self-sufficiency and living a life in accordance with their dreams. The Care Coordination Hub delivers intensive case management services to break the cycle of generational poverty in the Memphis/Shelby County region. Care Coordination is designed to help adults with school-aged children living in poverty to target socioeconomic factors related to the family's health and quality of life including four core components: education, economic supports, health and well-being, and social capital. Our Care Coordination Hub enrolls and provides intensive care coordination services to nearly 500 individuals in over 90 families, with at least one school-age child (ages 5 to 18) in the family. Nearly half of the families we serve are at imminent risk of becoming homeless.