As the foundation of the Communities In Schools (CIS) Model, site coordinators work daily to provide support to at-risk students struggling to find success in school. Based in the school, the site coordinator acts as a convener who helps students with academic and non-academic needs to ensure classroom progress, social development and success.
Tara Williford has been with CIS of Glynn County as the site coordinator at Glynn Academy for the last four years. Her work has been crucial in the school’s increased graduation rate each year. She works closely with teachers and administration to provide students with the extra support they need that may not be found at home.
Shane, a junior at Glynn Academy was in the dropout pipeline prior to meeting Tara. Through her guidance and being matched with a mentor, Shane saw his GPA improve from 1.2 to 3.0, while also getting back on track to graduate next year. He has aspirations to join the Marine Corps after graduation, and through community resources provided by CIS, he was able to meet with recruiters to begin planning for a successful future.
Shane credits his site coordinator with not giving up on him when he could have easily given up on himself and dropped out of school. “Miss Tara instilled hope in my life,” Shane said. “She gave me the motivation I needed to succeed, while always being there for me.”
Tara finds her work rewarding. “Seeing the kids be successful is very rewarding,” Tara said. “Watching them succeed, bringing their grades up, graduating and just seeing the life come back in their eyes is very special.”
Howard Mann, superintendent of Glynn County Schools understands the value of CIS, specifically its site coordinators. “What I love about CIS is the site coordinators are not afraid to go out into the community and these students’ homes and give them the assistance they need,” Mann said. “They are tremendous relationship builders in that the kids know they are cared about.”
For more information on Communities In Schools of Glynn County initiatives, please call 912-223-4641.