Communities In Schools of Chicago

Our Student Supports Managers lead student groups based on the needs of their school and its young people.

Here are some snapshots from of our team member, Ms. Wozniak, with her students during one of their lunch groups. These are spaces where students can discuss challenges they are facing, share successes they are having, and build relationships with their peers.

Relationships, impact, social justice, and integrity are CIS' core values, but in order for us to bring these values to life and best support Chicago's young people, our team needs the resources and tools.

Thanks to a grant from the Hinsdale Junior Woman's Club, our team now has funds for new laptops and printers for staff. We are so grateful for your support and partnership, Hinsdale Junior Woman's Club!

Our own Faith Fox attended the grant award ceremony.

We're so proud of our 2026 Do the Write Thing ambassador, Damiya!

Not only was she selected as this year's Chicago representative to attend the National Summit in Washington, DC. Her important, poignant poem was heard across the city.

Damiya and our own Robin Koelsch participated in interviews with WGN TV, CBS Chicago, and NBC Chicago, and Damiya shared her ideas around the causes of and solutions to youth violence.

If you haven't had the chance yet to read her work, visit https://www.cisofchicago.org/chicagos-2026-finalists/ or watch her three media interviews at https://www.cisofchicago.org/dtwt-news-and-media/

Way to go, Damiya!

The relationships that our team develops with young people are foundational to our work. They are positive, impactful, and lasting.

Recently, a former student of Ms. Herrera's came to visit her after he graduated from high school -- and he has big plans for the future! Ms. Herrera was there for his graduation from eighth grade.

𝗧𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 — 𝘢𝘥𝘫. Extremely determined, persistent, and unwilling to give up or let go. Someone who holds fast to a goal, even when facing significant difficulties.

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At the end of every school year, our CIS team recognizes young people who were tenacious. They set strong goals with our CIS Student Supports Managers, and they worked hard to make progress on those goals — all in an effort to stay in school and gain lifelong skills.

This spring, we celebrate one student at each of our Intensive sites with a Tenacity Award. We recognize them for persevering and achieving their goals, and we celebrate them, along with their friends, family, and school support system. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 𝗧𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀!

Here are some photos of recent Tenacity Award celebrations across our partner schools:

"We need you. You allow kids to talk about everything, all of their struggles."

"You help us find other resources outside of school in the same ways we need it in school."

"You actually take your time with other kids and give them a moment to just breathe."

"Knowing I got somebody in school I can talk to about anything means a lot to me."

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We asked some of our students why it's important to have somebody from CIS in their school, and we were struck by the impact of our work, not only across the city, but for each and every young person we support.

Watch our new video featuring our students here!

Resources, Relationships, Opportunities. Communities In Schools of Chicago. Chicago's young people are talented, creative, and full of potentia...

With the school year ending, there is so much to CELEBRATE!

Our CIS team members for serving as consistent sources of support and guidance, our school partners for their dedication and commitment, our community partners for providing the resources that students need, and most importantly, OUR STUDENTS.

They showed up, stayed strong, kept learning, and they GRADUATED. Congrats to all our students who earned their diplomas this season. So much to celebrate, indeed. Here's a round-up of graduation ceremonies from across our Intensive schools. 🎓

Exposure to new experiences across Chicago is critical for young people's growth and development. We were delighted over the weekend to share more about how CIS connects students with community programs and resources at the WGN TV studios!

Our Senior Arts & Culture Partnership Specialist Katia joined their morning program to talk about how CIS links students with field trips, cultural opportunities, and more.

Watch the full interview here: https://wgntv.com/news/wgn-weekend-morning-news/local-nonprofit-works-to-keep-field-trips-free-for-chicago-students/

Our team at CIS of Chicago is proud to co-sponsor Do the Write Thing, a writing program that challenges middle schoolers to share their ideas on the causes of and solutions to youth violence.

One week ago, Do the Write Thing Chicago hosted their annual awards banquet and recognized one student to serve as the national student ambassador. This student will represent Chicago at the Do the Write Thing Summit in Washington, D.C. over the summer.

At the awards banquet, we were delighted to recognize Damiya Myers, a seventh grader at Johnnie Colemon Elementary, as this year's ambassador! We can't wait for this year's Summit and all the exciting opportunities between now and then (including an interview with Damiya and CIS' Robin on NBC).

𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀.

They partner with their CIS Student Supports Manager to set goals for coming to school, staying in school, and ensuring they are on the path to graduation. They work diligently to reach their goals. And throughout the process, they gain skills for not only succeeding in school, but skills that will serve them well throughout their life.

𝗘𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿, 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆.

They honor one student at each of their schools with a CIS Tenacity Award and celebrate the progress they made.

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿'𝘀 𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻!

And thanks to the efforts of our school-based leadership team and Field Supervisor Paul Fagen, each winner will receive a gift box with a gift card, certificate of recognition, a tenacious T-shirt, and donations from some of our amazing community partners -- the Chicago Architecture Center, the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, Betsy's Blankets, and the Chicago White Sox!