Communities In Schools of Chicago Expands to Support Students at 200 Chicago Public Schools in “Vital” School Year

 Communities In Schools of Chicago Expands to Support Students at 200 Chicago Public Schools in “Vital” School Year

CHICAGO -- Communities In Schools of Chicago, one of Chicago’s most wide-reaching education non-profits, announced that it will be expanding its support to more than 200 Chicago Public Schools, allowing them to serve as many as
60,000 students in 2022-23.

The organization will expand its network of CPS school partners by 25 sites, bringing it to a total of 200 partners across more than 60 Chicago communities. Schools served by CIS of Chicago are linked to a wealth of resources and support
programs in areas like physical and mental health, arts and enrichment, parent and family support, and college/career readiness. A growing body of research finds that the provision of these services, within school settings, help students succeed
in school and life.

The expansion to 25 more schools comes at a critical time for public schools. Studies have shown that students in CPS and other districts experienced significant learning loss because of the pandemic. Moreover, the U.S. Surgeon General has warned that young people are facing a mental health crisis because of
the stress and uncertainty they’ve faced as a result of not only the pandemic, but epidemic levels of violence, political unrest, and racial and social injustice.

“There has never been a time when CIS’ services have been more needed than now. 2022-23 is going to be a vital year in our young people’s education,” said Jane Mentzinger, Chief Executive Officer at Communities In Schools of Chicago.

“During the past 3 years, our students, teachers, and parents have all endured a great deal. It’s important for community partners to come together with CPS to ensure our young people’s holistic needs are being met so they can focus on making up for the learning they’ve lost during Covid. Our expansion into more schools and communities this fall will enable us to do exactly that with more young people,” she added.

Mentzinger noted that as a result of the expansion, an estimated 7,500 additional students will receive the supports they need – all at no cost to their schools or families – to overcome obstacles to learning and stay on the path to graduation and life success.

Communities In Schools (CIS) of Chicago is the leading nonprofit in Chicago dedicated to removing barriers so that students can unlock their potential and stay on the path to graduation. The organization, which will partner with 200 public schools in Chicago in 2022-23, connects schools to needed programs and services and provides one-on-one and group interventions, like counseling and supportive guidance, to public-school students who need it most.

Each year tens of thousands of Chicago’s public-school students benefit from the work of CIS of Chicago. Backed by rigorous research, CIS of Chicago’s programming has been shown to have positive impacts on student attendance and academic performance – leading indicators of graduation. To learn
 more about CIS of Chicago, please visit cisofchicago.org.

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