Giving Connection

Communities In Schools of Tennessee

This nonprofit has not yet verified the listed information.

Volunteer

1207 18th Ave S, Nashville, TN 37212, USA

EIN Number: 46-1196944

contact information

Phone: (615) 727-1341

Hours: Closed

Mon - Fri 9:00 AM - 5:30 PM (EST)

Sat Closed

Sun Closed

Website: https://www.cistn.org/

Email: info@cistn.org

NTEE Code: B80: Student Services

MISSION - WHAT WE DO

Communities In Schools (CIS) of Tennessee surrounds students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life.

SERVICES - HOW WE DO IT

Integrated Student Supports in Tennessee Public Schools CIS of Tennessee places a highly qualified caring adult, known as a "site coordinator", directly inside each partner school. Their job is to connect students and their families to critical community resources tailored to their specific needs. Students struggling with low-incomes or poverty face daily barriers to school success. These barriers may include - food insecurity, lack of transportation, unsafe housing, and unmet mental health and medical needs. CIS of Tennessee provides three tiers of services. Tier one services are available to the whole school. These services help foster a positive school climate and address school-level risk factors. Tier two are targeted programs typically provided in a group setting to students with a common need. Tier three is our case management services provided in a one-to-one setting to students with highly specific needs. Academic Assistance Our site coordinators work hard to ensure that students have the resources they need to progress academically. From providing students with virtual learning support, credit recovery assistance, to finding tutors and creating quiet spaces where students can study, we do whatever it takes to create an optimal learning environment for our students. Basic Needs What can seem like small obstacles can easily lead students off track. That’s why ensuring students have access to basic needs is so important. A student cannot focus in the classroom if they are hungry, cold or tired, or cannot see the board. Our site coordinators Most important, we ensure that home is a healthy nurturing environment where students always feel safe. College & Career Readiness Both higher education and the modern workplace are evolving rapidly, and with this shift come new opportunities, greater competition, more complex skill sets, and job titles that didn’t exist a few years ago. It’s a lot to process, especially for students already dealing with their own unique challenges. For students pursuing college, we help decipher the application process, explore scholarship opportunities, tour campuses and conduct mock interviews. For those planning to enter the work force, we help students discover enjoyable, sustainable career paths and connect them to internships and job shadowing opportunities. For those undecided, our site coordinators provide a safe sounding board to articulate goals and fears, and explore options. Many of our kids have a limited frame of reference of what their careers can be, so an important part of our job is making them aware of the possibilities and encouraging them to “dream big”. From there, we help them understand and meet the requirements to ultimately achieve their goals. Family Engagement We know that greater parental involvement in a student’s life promotes greater student success. But parents and guardians often face their own obstacles. Language barriers, busy work schedules, and other family obligations can keep caregivers from getting involved in their child’s student life. CIS sees family engagement as a crucial element to our success, and work to remove barriers that prevent caregivers from staying central in their child’s education. CIS helps support a healthy school environment where students and families feel safe and welcome. Our site coordinators are advocates for all families and check in with families often to keep them updated on their students' progress. They’ve worked with teachers to offer community-based parent teacher nights so more parents could attend and have sponsored family nights and parent support groups to help parents stay involved. Life/Social Skills Life/social skills cover a broad range of topics – including personal health and hygiene, money management, digital footprint best practices, character development, and other essential skills such as how to study, how to manage time, and even how to set and achieve goals. Site coordinators teach students how to work together with others, interact with authority figures and manage anger and other emotions. Mastering life skills helps students engage more effectively with others, resolve issues diplomatically and understand the importance of compromise, patience, and other social values.