CIS supporters gather for annual meeting

	David Yoder (left) was chosen to lead the CIS Board of Directors as president. John M. Bjerum, new CIS executive director, shared his ideas and ideals during the Feb. 8 annual meeting.		Heart to Heart Advocate Kay Perkins and CIS Advisory Council Chair-Elect Ken Grochowsky of SRS discussed collaboration opportunities for the future. Representatives from many partnering agencies attended.

We must build bridges for the benefit of our children and community
 

What role does the school play in a small town? It is the center of our identity.
What role do our children play in a small town? They are our future.
What is the greatest asset of a small town? Relationships.

Taking all of this into consideration, it is our responsibility to keep each of these things healthy. Communities In Schools of Harvey County serves as a bridge between all of these integral elements to improve the lives of children, and to enhance the communities they grow up in. Through collaboration, our impact will be much greater and longer lasting than our individual efforts. This is a wonderful process that has begun in Harvey County. We must continue to take down walls and build bridges, for the benefit of our children and the future of our communities.

If you would like to support continued collaboration, either through donations of your time, resources, participation, or ideas, please contact me. I am excited to see how all of the unique parts of our communities can come together. Our schools have a “No Child Left Behind” theme; we must take this personally. Consider “No Resource Left Disconnected” as our answer to this calling.

Thank you for your interest in our programs. This is a year of growth and change for the better. Please join with us in this exciting process.


John M. Bjerum, LBSW
Executive Director
Communities In Schools of Harvey County

Programs don't change kids – relationships do!

Communities In Schools helps students stay in school and make right choices by connecting schools with needed community resources. By bringing resources, services, parents, and volunteers into schools, we create a community of caring adults who work hand in hand with educators.

Communities In Schools helps communities assess the needs of their youth. We then design plans for meeting those needs, using existing resources. We connect young people with services in a variety of ways. In partnership with the local school system, CIS identifies the most critical needs of students and families – needs that are preventing children from succeeding in school, and in life. CIS then locates and coordinates community resources, dedicated volunteers and agencies to serve in partnership with the public schools, both during the day and after school, thereby making the work of our educators much more effective. 
 

Communities In Schools keeps kids in school!

Communities In Schools is the nation’s leading community-based organization helping young people stay in school and prepare for life. Since 1990, Communities In Schools has been helping local students choose success by ensuring their access to the "Five Basics":

A one-on-one relationship with a caring adult

A safe place to learn and grow

A healthy start and a healthy future

A marketable skill to use upon graduation

A chance to give back to peers and community
 

Each year, more than two million young people in 27 states and the District of Columbia have access to services through Communities In Schools.