From the Communities In Schools National Office

  Arlington, VA—Communities In Schools (CIS), the national organization dedicated to empowering at-risk students to stay in school and on a path to a brighter future, is delighted to welcome NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Nealas the newest member of its national board of directors.

“Over all the years I’ve known Shaquille, he has alwaShaquille O’Neal Joins Communities In Schools National Board of Directors _ Communities In Schoolsys shown himself to be a man of integrity and principle for whom giving back to his community is a top priority,” says Communities In Schools National Board Chair Elaine Wynn. “We are privileged to have him among the volunteer leaders of Communities In Schools.”

Shaquille O’Neal, former NBA basketball player and Hall of Fame inductee, is currently a sports analyst on the television program,  Inside the NBA, and is considered one of the greatest players in NBA history. O’Neal’s athletic accomplishments include a 19-year NBA career, four NBA championships (three with the Los Angeles Lakers and one with the Miami Heat), and 15 All-Star game selections. He is one of only three players to win NBA MVP, All-Star game MVP, and NBA Finals MVP in the same year.

Rivaling his athletic accomplishments are O’Neal’s off-court undertakings, which include success in acting, music, television and gaming.  Inspired by positive childhood experiences at the Boys and Girls Club in Newark, NJ, O’Neal has a long career of partnering with youth organizations and giving back to his community.

“Every kid, no matter where they’re from or how much money their parents make, deserves the opportunity to get a good education,” said O’Neal. “My education was critical to my success on and off the court. Being in school gave me self-discipline and showed me the importance of hard work. I always knew that when my playing days were over, nobody could take my education away from me.”

“Even more than Shaquille’s extraordinary athletic career, it’s really his passion and dedication to ensuring young people opportunities for success that makes him such an incredible role model,” said Communities In Schools Founder Bill Milliken.

The Communities In Schools National Board of Directors is comprised of passionate supporters of the CIS mission, and leaders in a variety of fields including finance, education, marketing, law, civil rights and more. Click here to see full list of the board of national directors.

Communities In Schools program provides mental health and behavior interventions to students in need.

Indiana Department of Education awarded Communities In Schools (CIS) of Clark County with a $30,000 Innovation Grant. This grant will give Communities In Schools of Clark County the opportunity to contract with a Centerstone Therapist and a Behavior Intervention Specialist to provide additional resources and supports for their afterschool services.

“The help that CIS provides to our school is indescribable. We are able to meet the needs of our students both academically and socially at a different level due to the support of CIS. Providing wrap around coordination and support to our families allow us to meet the various needs of each family. The Centerstone therapist provides our students that are in crisis a friendly face and a touchstone at school as well as providing parents with support. 21^st Century Community Learning Centers provide a safe and caring environment for our students prior to and after school. They are able to support the students with academic work and behavior issues.”- Principal, Bridgepoint Elementary

These resources will be utilized after school at 21st Century Community Learning Center sites, which are funded by Indiana Department of Education grants and 21^st CCLC grants, offer after-school academic and behavioral interventions for teacher and principal referred students in grades 1-5 at the elementary level, grades 6 – 8 at the middle school level, and grades 9-12 at the high school level. In addition to homework assistance, credit recovery, and tutoring, students have the opportunity to participate in a variety of other enrichment activities such as service learning, STEM, college/career experiences, arts & culture, and other enrichment activities. The Behavior Intervention Specialist will work with staff, students, and parents on positive conflict resolutions and behavior management skills. The Centerstone Therapist will be able to help intervene with behavioral issues one-on-one by meeting with a student struggling with behavioral issues.

Thanks to a $8,000 grant from WHAS Crusade For Children- a foundation which aims to help children overcome various trials including mental and emotional challenges, Communities In Schools (CIS) of Clark County will have funding support for in-school therapy at 3 elementary schools and one high school, helping local students receive mental health treatment during the school day.

 “Therapy for students who struggle with mental health issues is our biggest need right now. The therapy available and support given to our students is helping our students move in a positive direction!” –Elementary School Principal in Clark County

CIS of Clark County contracts with Centerstone Mental Health to provide a licensed, Master’s-level therapist at each of 17 schools during the school day. Students receiving therapy are referred by teachers and counseled with parental/guardian consent. Having therapists available during the school day eliminates barriers to mental health treatment for low-income families, such as lack of transportation or lack of insurance.

Our Elementary After School Programming Staff hosted Family Fun Nights at their locations! These celebrations were a great way for students to celebrate summer birthdays as well as the end of the school year! We are proud that our staff makes such an effort to show families in these programs a great time! Each school put their own twist on their party; Clarksville families enjoyed a ‘Zumba’ themed event, Bridgepoint families enjoyed a delicious BBQ and fun games, and at Wilson Elementary students revealed their rock garden project that they have been working on.

On Tuesday, May 15, 2018, our annual 3,2,1 Read Appreciation Breakfast was held at First Christian Church in Jeffersonville, IN. This event is themed around showing our appreciation to the volunteers who dedicate their time to helping struggling readers in grades 1st-3rd grade strengthen their reading skills and confidence. We show them appreciation through a free breakfast and a CIS gift. We also announce the 2017/2018 School Year Volunteer Totals at this event to show the volunteers the impact they are making on our community. The totals are as follows:

Schools                           Total Volunteer Hours

Borden                                                 80

Bridgepoint                                        316

Clarksville                                            145

Henryville                                            225

Jonathan Jennings                           72

Maple                                                   145

Northaven                                          236

Parkwood                                           75

Pleasant Ridge                                  56

Riverside                                             90

Silver Creek Elementary                114

Silver Creek Primary                       122

Spring Hill                                            310

Thomas Jefferson                            23

Wilson                                                  176

Total Hours

2185 volunteer hours at $23.56 an hour (designated amount for volunteer time per hour)= $51,478.60

2185 brand new books were given away this school year! At an average cost of $4.00 a book = $8,740.00

Total Financial Value of the 3,2,1 READ Program

$60,218.60

Total Actual value of the 3,2,1 READ Program

PRICELESS!

We would like to thank all volunteers, donors, board members, Resource Coordinators, and staff for making this program possible!

If you are interested in becoming a 3,2,1 READ volunteer, please contact Julie Moorman: jmoorman@cisclark.org or 812-280-0028

Want to support this program but don’t have time to volunteer? Your donation of $20 a month can provide us with 60 new books to distribute to struggling readers! 

Clark County students enrolled in our Middle and High school after school programs have enjoyed fun and educational field trips over the past few weeks! The students have attended field trips to Indiana University Southeast, the Muhammad Ali Center, and Maxwell’s House of Music!

At Indiana University Southeast, students were able to take a tour of the campus. For many students, this was the first time touring a college campus.

At the Muhammad Ali Center, students learned about the history of Muhammad Ali. Many people don’t know the many contributions Muhammad Ali made to the community and the world, so this field trip was extremely informational.

At Maxwell’s House of Music, students were given a tour of the entire building. The students were also able to enjoy a concert performed by local high school musicians!

We are thankful for the opportunity to provide students with fun and education field trips like these! We would like to make a special shout-out to our Secondary Program Manager, Mariah Alexander for coordinating these field trips and make them possible!

On Wednesday, May 2, 2018 we received a donation of 2,957 books from Steel Dynamics of Jeffersonville, IN. Each year, with this year being the 10th year, Steel Dynamics has a fun competition between shifts to see who can donate the most books. This year’s winner was Shift B!

We are so thankful for this generous donation, as it provides us with books to give to struggling readers in our 3,2,1 Read Program. Our 3,2,1 Read program consists of a community volunteer meeting with a struggling reader once a week. Each week, that student receives a new book to add to their personal library!

On Wednesday, April 18, Vectren Foundation visited Bridgepoint Elementary School where they presented new books to struggling readers and 3,2,1 Read Volunteers. These new books were funded in part by a $5,000 grant from Vectren Foundation. The students were so excited to see all the new books that they would eventually get to take home and add to their personal libraries!

View the event here!

To learn more about our 3,2,1 Read Program, visit our services . If you would like to become a 3,2,1 Read Volunteer and be a part of this rewarding experience, contact jmoorman@cisclark.org!