SUCCESS STORIES

Midway Elementary

Ms. Franklin at Midway Elementary has been an AmeriCorps member for four years and works with two first and second grade students generally once a week for 45 minutes. Her focus is on sight words, reading comprehension and fluency. According to Midway teachers, partnerships like the one CIS provides is needed and welcomed. They appreciate that Ms. Franklin engages the students in the learning process by having them draw, write and discuss their favorite parts of stories they read. As a result, reading fluency and grades have improved. Jasmine, one of her tutored students, now says reading is her favorite thing to do and was named Student of the Month for improved behavior and grades. The recognition provided more motivation and confidence.

 

 

Shontavious Ficklin

CIS of Warren County presented Shontavious Ficklin the Unsung Hero award in 2016. When kids go through tragedy early in life, it helps to have a caring adult to guide them through anger issues and the inevitable struggle to stay on track in school. Shontavious’ downward spiral and anger issues started to mount at the young age of four due to the absence of his father, his mother being killed by a drunk driver, and his confinement to a body cast for a long period of time as a result of the accident.

Fortunately for Shontavious, he was referred to CIS of Warren County by his school. A CIS site coordinator, Chranda Baker, along with a school team and family serving agencies developed an individual school success plan. For more than six years, Shontavious was surrounded with a support structure that provided individual and family counseling, as well as ongoing sessions with Ms. Baker, which helped to build rapport after seven months. Additionally, anger and stress management classes, mentoring, tutoring, summer camps and volunteer opportunities put Shontavious on the path to caring about school and thinking positively about his future.

Shontavious went on to improve his socialization skills by playing saxophone and percussion in the school band, became active in his church, a leader in 4-H and an honor student, graduating fifth in his class at Warren County High School. He is now following in the footsteps of his mother by joining the Army National Guard, and studying criminal justice at Savannah State University. Shontavious aspires to become an FBI agent.

“Before CIS, I didn’t pursue anything. I was shy and didn’t like talking to people. If it hadn’t been for CIS, I think I’d be in jail today. I’m just glad I ended up on the right side.”

CIS of Baldwin County Builds Strong Community Collaborations

AmeriCorps Partnership

Communities In Schools (CIS) of Georgia equips the network of local affiliates with tools including trainings, partnership development and technical assistance to better support students and their families and educators for school success.

According to Dr. Noris Price, Baldwin County’s school superintendent, CIS of Baldwin County has built a strong partnership with her school district. One of the elements that make the partnership viable are the 4 AmeriCorps members who provide extra reading support to CIS of Baldwin County in 4 elementary schools. The members tutor disadvantaged youth referred by teachers who pinpoint deficiencies and together they develop individual plans to improve academic performance. The superintendent, teachers and students are seeing positive results from the partnership with CIS of Baldwin County.

School Site Coordination

CIS Site coordinators are trained professionals who work with school administrators and staff to assess needs, develop a plan and build a team to provide supports to schools and students. Joyce Denson, CIS of Baldwin County Site Coordinator, is in her fourth year of service. Students chosen to participate in the CIS mentoring and tutoring programs are referred by the teacher and principal based on individual needs. Once chosen, the site coordinator conducts an interview with the student. Students are then given a composition notebook. This notebook or journal is one method to track each student’s writing progression as they go through the program. Students meet with volunteers twice a week during their exploratory time period. “When you have a student who approaches you every day asking to be tutored, this keeps me motived,” said Denson. “With help, I’ve seen an improvement in their attitude and behavior.”

Ms. Denson also coordinates programs beyond tutoring, including career and health fairs. One career fair featured both traditional and non-traditional career, including forestry and culinary because students expressed interest in those areas. A health fair provided free vision screenings and allowed 5^th grade students to participate in a CPR training course. All participants received their CPR certification.

CIS of Baldwin County has more than 100 volunteers and Ms. Denson is currently serving 52 students on her caseload. But with 41 students on the waiting list, more volunteers are needed. If you have at least one hour a week, you can be trained to become a volunteer at a local school served by CIS. There are no special skills required, although there is an emphasis to help students struggling with math and science.  An hour volunteer training takes place monthly (or as needed). Volunteers are recruited by the CIS office on the Georgia College & State University campus and all must pass a background check. Contact Sandy Baxter, CIS Executive Director, at sbaxter@cismilledgeville.org for more information.

 

Richard Tisinger

Communities in Schools-Carrollton City and Carroll County has been instrumental in the development of Mentoring Village, an organization formed to provide mentors with the skills required to provide the youth of Carroll County with guidance, resources, and support. Cynthia Langley, Executive Director of CIS-Carrollton City and Carroll County, serves as the President of the Mentoring Village Board of Directors.

Mentoring programs located in Carroll County, including Communities in Schools, utilize the services of Mentoring Village to train and screen volunteers and staff in accordance with national standards. These standards include clearly defined roles and responsibilities of the mentor.

Mentor Dick Tisinger says, “I knew there were others like me – interested, but not knowing how to get connected. I knew of several different programs but where did I go to sign up?  I contacted Cathy [Robinson, VISTA Strategy Coordinator] and then it got easy,” Tisinger said. “I went through training and had an extensive background check. Their questionnaire serves as an interest matching instrument – it assists Cathy in matching my interests with mentees from the stand alone mentoring programs

Mr. Tisinger brings his community relationships as a resource to assist his student mentee. With his encouragement, she is close to earning her high school diploma and has an interest in biology. Tisinger arranged for a West Georgia Technical College representative to visit with her to share career pathways relating to biology.

Working with children or the elderly is a second interest of the student and Tisinger asked the director of Carroll Manor to give her “the good, bad and ugly of working in a nursing home environment.”

“I regret that I did not start mentoring earlier,” Tisinger admits. “For those of you sitting on the sideline, thinking about it – go do it! It is a win-win-win for the student, mentor and society.”

Alexandria Downs

Communities In Schools network has 26 AmeriCorps members in the AmeriCorps Reading Tutorial program that serve children in grades 3-12 and families in several counties all over Georgia. The volunteers meet one-on-one or in groups with students that demonstrate issues with their academic performance along with troubling behavioral problems at school. The AmeriCorps members tutor students, talk with them about behavioral issues, and provide guidance on how to make better decisions.

Alexandria Downs is one of the AmeriCorps member that serves for Family Connection and Communities In Schools of Glascock County.

Downs currently serves six children in the after school program in Glascock County. She says that becoming an AmeriCorps member gave her the opportunity to give back, lead, and inspire the next generation into a positive direction. “AmeriCorps is a chance to make a real difference in my local community. This is why I serve,” Downs said. Setting reading rate goals for her students, she said, resulted in great success in their reading improvements. Milan Berry, a fourth grader, is one of the students Downs mentors. He expresses his appreciation for his tutor by saying, “I’m glad Ms. Alexis is here. I’m Glad because she is a nice teacher and she helps me with my homework and not just with mine, but she helps every one. Without her I would miss her and probably fail.”

 

Mackenzie Goodwin

It’s not uncommon for kids to fade into the background when they are in overcrowded classrooms and in classes with kids who have emotional or behavioral difficulties. Teachers can get overwhelmed in such a learning environment, particularly when students need extra support, and it can affect learning outcomes. When Mackenzie Goodwin’s family moved to Candler County, they were glad CIS had site coordinators in the schools who partner with the school district to ensure student success. Mackenzie’s school teacher recommended that she meet with a CIS site coordinator to improve her math skills. The coordinator connected Mackenzie with a tutor, and also provided a relaxed environment to build confidence. Subsequently, her scores improved.

 

Fredrick Bailey

Fredrick Bailey grew up in poverty in a small Georgia town and faced what seemed like insurmountable obstacles that could have derailed his education and made him just another dropout statistic. But Fredrick was determined not to let that happen, even though his school work and behavior were in decline as a result of poverty and his home life experiences. Because he received services from Communities In Schools from middle school through high school, he was able to get back on track and graduate. Fredrick went on to earn a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree and is now working at a Georgia university as an academic advisor. Fredrick also penned his autobiography, Waiting on the Rain, and has been a speaker at a variety of churches, schools, nonprofit organizations and local businesses.

 

Ka’liyah Moore

Many students, particularly in low-income communities, come to school with chronic stressors like unstable living conditions, inadequate clothing, hunger, health issues and violent or traumatic experiences. These issues compromise their learning experience and require targeted intervention. Ka’liyah Moore is one of those students. Her family’s apartment burned to the ground. Left with nothing, CIS provided Ka’liyah’s family with clothes and household items. Ka’liyah was surprised and relieved that strangers helped her and her family. Later in the year when Ka’liyah faced more difficulties at home and self-esteem issues, she turned to her CIS site coordinator. Through conversations, Ka’liyah was able to make progress and get back on track.

 

 

Mahogany Roundtree

First generation college students generally need extra attention to get through the process and prepare for a successful college experience. CIS site coordinators provide this type of “high touch” service. Mahogany Roundtree, a recent Cobb County high school graduate, was one of three Georgia students who attended an educational summit at the White House this past summer. Mahogany was chosen based on academic achievement, leadership skills, college aspirations and her ability to overcome challenges faced as a middle child raised by a single mom with six siblings. She was able to beat the odds while working a job and taking the lead with home responsibilities. Mahogany became the first in her family to go to college. She is currently enrolled at Chattahoochee Tech, and is working full-time and part-time jobs to help her mom pay bills and save more for college. Mahogany plans to transfer to a four-year university and has aspirations to become a registered nurse or podiatrist.

 

Summer Learning

Many local Communities In Schools (CIS) affiliates have summer programs to ensure academic learning continues during the summer break. Parents, site coordinators and 20 8th and 9th graders from CIS of Fitzgerald/Ben Hill toured Noah’s Ark Animal Sanctuary as part of their Catalyst Summer Camp program. This 3-minute video describes what students learned about the animal’s journey to their new habitat during their field trip. Other summer camp activities included: anger management training, learning more about CIS and the role of local affiliates, traveling through Georgia and taking dual enrollment courses. The camp was possible through a combination of grants from the AT&T Foundation, the Department of Family and Children Services through CIS National and local fundraising efforts. The camp’s final week of camp. Included a formal, home-style luncheon and students honored their site coordinator, Kim Bryant, with a special tribute, along with conversations with their parents, teachers, and special guests about camp highlights.

CIS of Laurens County’s annual summer program also included lots of fun and enlisted CIS staff and certified teachers who provided students with an hour of reading, math, art, fitness, and character education to help students prepare for the upcoming school year.

 

CIS Yearbook Celebrates Amazing Grads

“Triston, a Georgia student, was homeless and living on his own and often showed up to school hungry and in need of clean clothes. With support from CIS, he found a safe place to stay, transportation to school, and school supplies. When Communities In Schools site coordinator, Milisa Wise, became aware of Triston’s unstable living conditions, she immediately got him help and found him a new place he could call home. Despite his troubles, Triston has excelled academically. Today, his goal of finishing school is within reach as he prepares to graduate this May from Walnut Grove High School in Loganville, GA with a 3.5 GPA. And with the help of Wise, he has applied to and been accepted to several colleges. Triston plans to major in business and play football at Pointe University in West Point, GA.”

This graduation season, Communities In Schools will be celebrating high school heroes and successful students from across the country who are changing the picture of education. This year, they’re graduating college and inspiring students across the country to stay in school and succeed. Read more of their stories (with clickable links) here: CIS Yearbook Celebrates Amazing Grads Successful Students

 

Walmart Sponsorship Supports Statewide Trainings

The Walmart State Giving Program provided sponsorship for CIS of Georgia to conduct two statewide convenings. During these trainings more than a hundred executive directors, site coordinators, and board members received training in advocacy, resource development, and board recruitment and development. Site coordinators participated in an interactive parent engagement session, and our national CIS office provided information that will improve our network’s Total Quality System accreditation process.

Also during the recent training, two of CIS of Georgia’s affiliates were honored for receiving CIS National Unsung Hero Awards: one was Monroe Area High School, representing CIS of Walton County and the other honoree was Dr. Demona Warren, a CIS of Atlanta site coordinator. Additionally, during the trainings executive directors and site coordinators participated in roundtable discussions where they share best practices.

 

 

CIS Involvement Leads to New-Found Ambition

Rachel entered high school scared, lonely, and battling depression. Through her involvement Communities In Schools (CIS) and a leadership team at Turner County High School, she overcame depression and gained back her ambition. Through CIS, Rachel is now focused, wants to go to college and has ambitions to help other students going through some of the things she went through.