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lansingchamber.org #LOVELANSING
Communities In Schools Affiliates Announces
Transformative Investment to Help Students Overcome
Obstacles to Learning
$133.5 MILLION DONATION WILL DEEPEN ORGANIZATION’S IMPACT IN
SCHOOLS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND MICHIGAN
ommunities In Schools of work ahead, and the public and private
Michigan and Communities In partnership that must remain true.
CSchools of Northwest Michigan,
two local affiliates of the national “We currently serve over 30,000
organization, are recipients of a large thousand students in Michigan, and
donation from MacKenzie Scott. we have added more school district
CIS works to ensure every student, partners to our reach for 2023. Between
regardless of race, zip code, or history of the two affiliates, these funds will assist
marginalization, has what they need to CIS with our plans for sustainability
succeed in school and beyond. as we expand to serve over 45,000
students next year in Michigan,” said
This transformative $133.5 million Mallory DePrekel, executive director of
donation from philanthropist Communities In Schools of Michigan.
MacKenzie Scott to the Communities In Schools Network
and National Office will be distributed across 40 affiliates State Representative Sarah Anthony said, “I am thrilled
of the 110 organizations in the CIS Network. to lend my congratulations to Communities In Schools
Michigan on receiving this historic
private investment in their work. When
our students seem to be facing their
heaviest burdens yet, we need strong
partners like Communities in Schools
who are willing to do the work on the
ground in our classrooms to help kids
re-engage and keep them on the path
to success. This organization will play
a key role in our collective response
to the learning loss and mental
health implications of the COVID-19
pandemic. I am proud to see this level of
community buy-in and I am excited to
see the ripple effect for students across
Michigan.”
CIS believes that transformative
relationships are key to unlocking a
In a time when the global pandemic has created student's potential. Their school-based staff works inside
unparalleled challenges for students and families, schools in partnership with teachers and parents to
including experiences of social isolation, economic help address the non-academic needs of students. CIS
crisis, stress, and trauma, this investment will help CIS coordinates with schools and local service providers to
of Michigan and CIS of Northwest Michigan carry out meet the needs of students and families and provide
their cause to build sustainable systems of support critical resources, like food, housing, healthcare,
for the students and families that would otherwise be counseling, access to remote technology, and more so
left behind. An investment in CIS to use its evidenced- that students (and educators) can focus on academics.
based model to help students overcome obstacles to By identifying the points of challenge for students in
learning are tremendous financial backing for impact, their personal lives, CIS staff helps to empower students
infrastructure, and the people working inside schools. to move beyond the barriers they face in the school
However, it does not change the reality of the continued building and community. l
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