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§ Private Profile · 815 W Van Buren St #300, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
Nonprofit empowering 83,000+ Chicago K-12 students by removing learning barriers via community resources.
Key people at CIS (Communities In Schools) of Chicago.
Communities In Schools (CIS) of Chicago is a Chicago, Illinois-based nonprofit organization that connects public school students with community resources to address educational barriers and support academic progression. Operating within the K-12 public education sector, the entity provides its services at no cost to students or educational institutions through a combination of donations, grants, and strategic partnerships. The organization currently partners with Chicago Public Schools to serve over 83,000 students across 239 educational facilities during the 2024-2025 academic year. Its operational framework includes a Partnership Program that links schools to more than 220 community organizations delivering 2,895 distinct programs, alongside an Intensive Program that provides individualized clinical support to 1,561 at-risk students. The Chicago affiliate was established in 1988 by local business leaders as part of the broader national network originally founded by Bill Milliken.
Key people at CIS (Communities In Schools) of Chicago.
Communities In Schools (CIS) of Chicago is a nonprofit organization, not a company or investment firm, dedicated to dropout prevention and student success in Chicago Public Schools.[1][3][4] Its mission is to surround students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life, through two core programs: the Partnership Program, which connects schools with community resources like mental health, arts enrichment, and academic support, and the Intensive Program, which provides individualized support via school-based Student Support Managers.[3][4][5] In the 2024-25 school year, CIS served over 80,000 K-12 students across 250 schools, addressing barriers such as poverty, violence, mental health issues, and learning loss at no cost to schools.[3][4]
This model, proven through research and evaluations (including a 2019-2022 University of Chicago study), improves attendance, grades, behavior, and graduation rates by integrating holistic services.[1][3][5]
CIS of Chicago launched in 1988 when Chicago business leaders united to combat youth dropout rates by linking community organizations, hospitals, and universities with public schools via the Partnership Program.[1][4] As an affiliate of the national Communities In Schools, Inc.—the largest dropout prevention organization—it began focusing on resource coordination to fill gaps in school services.[1][7]
In 2009, it expanded with the Intensive Program, embedding clinicians in schools for direct, one-on-one support targeting at-risk students' academics, behavior, and social-emotional needs.[4][5] This evolution reflects growing challenges like post-pandemic learning loss and mental health crises, scaling from initial partnerships to impacting 250 schools today.[3][4]
CIS of Chicago operates outside the tech sector, focusing on education equity and dropout prevention amid national trends in community schools and social-emotional learning (SEL).[1][2] It aligns with Chicago Public Schools' Community Schools Initiative—one of the largest in the U.S.—which integrates non-academic supports to counter underachievement, earning national awards for excellence.[2] Timing is critical post-pandemic, as youth mental health crises and learning loss intensify; CIS counters these by scaling evidence-based interventions, influencing ecosystems through partnerships with 50+ nonprofits and research collaborations like the University of Chicago Education Lab.[2][3][5]
While not tech-driven, its model could intersect with edtech trends (e.g., data-driven needs assessments or virtual resource platforms), amplifying impact in underserved communities and contributing to broader goals of educated citizens and neighborhood strengthening.[2][4]
CIS of Chicago is poised to expand amid rising demands for student supports, potentially growing beyond 250 schools as Chicago tackles persistent inequities.[3][4] Trends like increased SEL funding, community school scaling, and post-pandemic recovery will shape its path, with opportunities to integrate tech for broader reach (e.g., digital resource matching).[3][5] Its influence may evolve by setting standards for nonprofit-school partnerships, ensuring more students graduate ready for success—reinforcing its core mission as Chicago's youth challenges persist.[1][3]
