Our Commitment To Diversity Equity And Inclusion
In January 2020, CIS of Chicago launched a staff-driven Diversity, Equity, Inclusion + Culture Committee to promote a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment that takes both proactive and responsive measures to meet the needs of staff, stakeholders, and the community.
The work of the committee is designed to advance practices across staffing levels and roles within the organization. The outcomes of the DEI+C committee will be continuously implemented and revisited to enhance our services, strengthen our partner and community relationships, impact staff retention, and ultimately, improve students outcomes.
DEI+C Committee Objectives
- Provide ongoing formal and informal education on diversity, equity, and inclusion based on organizational and programmatic need.
- Investigate organizational strengths in diversity, equity, and inclusion and identify areas for growth, informed by best practices.
- Continuously inform the adaptation and integration of diversity, equity, and inclusion language and definitions for organizational and programmatic practices.
- Identify and operationalize diversity, equity, inclusion, and culture norms for CIS of Chicago.
How Cis Of Chicago Supports Service Providers
Assistance accessing and navigating more 175 schools Techniques and tools to increase student impact Individualized instruction on topics like program coordination, communication and evaluation of programs Exclusive training and networking events Strategic support in expanding reach and customizing programs to school needs
Community Areas In Chicago
The city of Chicago is divided into 77 community areas for statistical and planning purposes. Census data and other statistics are tied to the areas, which serve as the basis for a variety of urban planning initiatives on both the local and regional levels. The areas’ boundaries do not generally change, allowing comparisons of statistics across time. The areas are distinct from but related to the more numerous neighborhoods of Chicago an area often corresponds to a neighborhood or encompasses several neighborhoods, but the areas do not always correspond to popular conceptions of the neighborhoods due to a number of factors including historical evolution and choices made by the creators of the areas. As of 2020, Near North Side is the most populous of the areas with over 105,000 residents, while Burnside is the least populous with just over 2,500. Other geographical divisions of Chicago exist, such as the “sides” created by the branches of the Chicago River, the wards of the Chicago City Council, and the parishes of the Roman Catholic Church.
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How Cis Of Chicago Supports Schools
No-cost connections to a network of 200+ service providers based in the Chicago area Guidance and support in needs assessment, program coordination, relationship building and program evaluation Exclusive training and networking events In 31 of our 175 partner schools, an embedded CIS of Chicago Student Supports Manager to provide ongoing interventions services to targeted students off track in their attendance, behavior and/or grades.
This Is Part Of A Larger Gift To The National Communities In Schools Organization
Communities In Schools of Chicago secured a $4 million grant that will go to helping provide additional support for more than 50,000 Chicago Public School students, the organization announced Thursday.
Pat Nabong/Sun-Times
Billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott continues to dish out her fortune at an impressive rate and one of Chicagos largest education nonprofits is reaping the benefits this week.
Communities In Schools of Chicago secured a $4 million grant from Scott that will go to help provide additional support for more than 50,000 Chicago Public Schools students, the organization announced Thursday.
The donation part of a much larger $133.5 million gift from Scott to the national Communities In Schools organization comes at a time when schools are entering their third year of facing unprecedented challenges amid the pandemic, including social isolation and economic and mental health crises. The new funding will allow Communities In Schools of Chicago to continue to provide services to at-risk students aimed at helping them stay on track and perform well in school.
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Communities in Schools goal is to form transformative relationships with students that will help them reach their full potential.
This unrestricted gift allows us to combat the inequities in public education and reimagine the way schools operate and show up for all students, he continued.
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Other Geographic Divisions Of Chicago
Chicago is traditionally divided into the three “sides” of the North Side, West Side, and South Side by the Chicago River. These three sides are represented by the white stripes on the flag of Chicago. The city is also divided into 50 wards for the purpose of electing one alderman each to the Chicago City Council. These wards have at times generated identities similar to neighborhoods. Unlike community areas, wards are adjusted decennially to account for population shifts. Another method of neighborhood nomenclature in heavily Catholic neighborhoods of Chicago has been to refer to communities in terms of parishes. For example, one might say, “I live in St. Gertrude’s, but he is from Saint Ita’s.”
Top Review Highlights By Sentiment
- Great people to work with”
- “Nice time off when students are out for spring and winter break.”
- “great staff, lots of open communication”
- “Good benefits”
- “There were some great coworkers.”
- “Disorganized management and admin.”
- “I felt like some of the other staff was unqualified, or could use better training.”
- “Salary is low, and many employees are working on grant status, therefore once the grant ends so does their employment.”
- “long hours, must be very very flexible”
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Program Operation Hours And Schedule
- Community Schools program operates for 3 hours upon school dismissal and is available most full school days from September through the 1st week of June.
- The program begins at the end of the school day and runs for 2-3 hours daily for a minimum of 12 hours per week.
- The program follows the CPS school day calendar in terms of school holidays, early release days, and inclement weather days.
- Each site should have a minimum of 3 Enrichment/Art Activities per day .
SAMPLE SCHEDULE – VARIES BY SITE
For more information on the Community Schools Program, please contact .
What We Aim To Solve
Research shows that those with a high school diploma are far better positioned for success than their peers who dropout: they are less likely to live in poverty or be unemployed, and they experience a decreased likelihood of engaging in violence. Additionally, high school graduates have better long-term health and a longer life expectancy. High school dropouts are more likely to access public aid supports, more likely to be unemployed, and more likely to be incarcerated than their peers who have a high school diploma.81% of students we serve are low-income. These students live in a household with an income less than 185% of the Federal Poverty Line. Studies by the National Center for Education Statistics reveal that students from such economic backgrounds are up to six times more likely to drop out from school than their more affluent peers. Between the pandemic and racial disparities, Chicago’s youth face staggering inequities.
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Chicago Public Schools Community Schools Initiative
Chicago Public Schools and their community partners have used community schooling as a strategy to support students, their families, and the broader school community, creating the Community Schools Initiative in 2002. A key component of the initiative is identifying the needs of the school community and providing high-quality programming and services to address the academic, social, emotional, and other needs of students enrolled in initiative schools.
Read findings from the study and learn more about next steps related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The initial CSI cohort consisted of 20 CPS schools, which were partnered with arts, youth development, and social service organizations. To date, more than 200 schools and almost 50 organizations have participated in the initiative.
Communities In Schools Of Chicago
Communities In Schools of Chicago is a non-profit, 501 organization that connects Chicago public school students with social, emotional, health and enrichment programs that remove barriers to learning. Founded in 1988, Communities In Schools of Chicago is partnering in 2019-20 with 175 Chicago Public Schools and 200+ service providers to facilitate program and service connections that address students’ needs all at no cost to students or schools. Many of these services are basic but essential, from health services to arts enrichment to violence prevention. Communities In Schools of Chicago is one of more than 130 local affiliates of the national Communities In Schools organization.
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Communities In Schools Of Chicago Builds Brighter Futures For Our City’s Young People
CIS of Chicagos programs surround Chicagos under-served youth with a community of support, expanding their opportunities and removing barriers to their future success.
And we have proven impact helping students succeed in school and graduate from high school. Both are crucial steppingstones to success in life. This year, we are partnering with 175 Chicago Public Schools, and our work will positively impact more than 50,000 students.
Our Mission Is To Surround Students With A Community Of Support Empowering Them To Stay In School And Achieve In Life
Our organization accomplishes these goals through two core programs.
The Partnership Program
links our 175 school partners with a range of no-cost programs in academic support arts and culture college and career readiness counseling and supportive guidance health and wellness and parent and family engagement, provided by a strong network of community partners.
The Intensive Program
embeds a masters level professional in 30 of the 175 school communities to provide supportive guidance, goal-setting, and other interventions to targeted students who are off-track in their attendance, behavior, and grades. That staff member also connects the school with a range of support programming.
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What Are Scs
Youve heard, It takes a village to raise a child. SCS are the embodiment of that saying they are community hubs designed to provide wraparound academic, health, and social support for the entire community beyond the traditional 9 am 3 pm school day. By leveraging community assets, resources, and external partnerships to provide comprehensive community care, SCS brings students, parents, educators, school staff, community members, and service providers together in a coordinated effort to promote neighborhood health and well-being. It is a community-led, community-driven approach to educational justice and equity.
SCS are not an unproven program. They are a paradigm shift in how we think about education.