CIS in Georgia Receives $150,000 Grant to Help Kids Graduate High School

In a recent press release, AT&T announced that they have awarded Communities in Schools (CIS) of Georgia a $150,000 grant to help kids graduate from high school. The CIS has one mission - to help prevent high school dropouts and to connect potential dropouts with community resources that can help them stay in school.

According to the Manhattan Initiative, in 2001 the State of Georgia had the lowest graduation rate for all states in America. Only 54 percent of all high school students graduated. The class of 2003 moved up a notch as graduation rate climbed up to 56 percent.

By 2006, Georgia high school graduation rates had climbed to 70 percent. This was the first time in the State that such a high number of students graduated from high school. The State of Georgia had increased the funding given to schools by $1 billion since 2003.

The CIS works with over 50 local organizations to help coordinate services that will help youth stay in school and graduate. They have even provided services directly when necessary.

They have 29 "performance learning centers"(PLCs) that work with nearly 100,000 students in 67 different school systems. Among the many programs provided by the PLCs are:

* Mentoring

* Tutoring

* Parent education

* Literacy

* Youth leadership

* After-school programs

These PLCs have a 1-15 teacher-student ratio, give students increased attention for both the students academic and non-academic needs, and help students learn at their own pace. Over 1,800 students have graduated since the programs inception in 2002.

Communities in Schools of Georgia has been instrumental in helping students in Georgia, and improving graduation rates. CIS works within a student's community, integrating services that are students get, and utilize existing community resources to help students in the schools that need the most help.