At Communities In Schools (CIS), we see potential in every student— and we’re committed to helping them see it too. It’s not always easy. Thousands of kids across the country face overwhelming roadblocks to their academic and personal success. Learning disabilities. Homelessness. Bullying. The emotional effects of trauma. Untreated medical or dental conditions. A lack of school supplies and clothes. We’re in schools to spot and overcome the roadblocks in our students’ way. Our commitment to students brings communities together for them. We start by collaborating with school districts and schools to understand each student’s needs, and deliver resources tailored to them. But we don’t stop there. We go beyond the classroom to work with local businesses, social service agencies, healthcare providers and volunteers, to give every student the confidence to overcome life’s future roadblocks and own their success. For 1.6 million students across 25 states and the District of Columbia, we are 36,400 volunteers strong, 4,030 staff members at the ready, and 137 CIS organizations on the ground—at their side every day to remind them that there’s nothing they can’t do.

Founder Bill Milliken began CIS in New York City in the 1970’s. He came up with the idea of bringing community resources inside public schools-where they are accessible, coordinated and accountable. “It’s relationships, not programs, that change children,” Bill once said. “A great program simply creates the environment for healthy relationships to form between adults and children. Young people thrive when adults care about them on a one-to-one level, and when they also have a sense of belonging to a caring community.”

Over forty years into our mission of surrounding students with communities of support, Bill’s principle continues to guide our work and serves as a beacon for the next chapter in our history.