Communities In Schools (CIS) of Fitzgerald/Ben Hill County recently hosted an education summit attended by educators from the local school district, technical college representatives and business leaders. Ben Hill County‘s cohort graduation rate is 64.93%, and the goal of the summit was to discuss how the community can help increase the graduation rate and better prepare students for college and careers. The summit allowed open lines of communication between education leaders and the community’s business and government officials to help create a stronger academic system for the community.
During the event, principals from each school, as well as representatives of Wiregrass Technical College and CIS discussed strengths and how they can better prepare students for career options in demand in the 21st century. Each group presented information on initiatives to help students find success in the classroom. A common theme addressed throughout the event was a variety of opportunities available to help students achieve in the classroom despite the different grade levels.
CIS of Fitzgerald/Ben Hill County executive director Becky Gay thinks this inaugural summit is an excellent way to continue building a bridge between the schools and community. “This event was an important opportunity for our school district, local technical college and CIS to share the great things we each have going on. Sometimes people only focus on the negative, but with this event we were able to concentrate on the positive, while letting the community know we need their support to continue helping our students move towards the goal of graduation.”
During the CIS presentation, Gay touched on the importance of site coordinators in each school. The site coordinator works directly with school administration to connect academic and non-academic resources and services to at-risk students who need them.
Ben Hill Primary School principal Steve Hardin understands the critical role played by his site coordinator. “Being from a rural area, we are sometimes limited on interventions we can provide to students,” Hardin said. “The site coordinator is a tremendous help, taking recommendations from teachers and coordinating volunteers to match with at-risk students. This goes a long way with helping these kids improve in school. We want to be able to serve as many students as we possibly can, and our site coordinator does a great job helping do so.”
Visit the CIS of Fitzgerald/Ben Hill County website to learn more about initiatives they’re working on to help youth succeed in school and prepare for life. They also have volunteer opportunities.