Author: Tom Hay

Communities In Schools of the Nation’s Capital announces it will join the second cohort of grantees to receive funding for the Communities In Schools® (CIS®) national Scaling for Success initiative. CISNCAP will receive a grant to expand its reach to 1,000 new students for the 2024-2025 school year.

This investment enables Communities In Schools, in partnership with school districts and local schools, to provide critical coordinated resources to students through a trained professional who can help connect them to the supports and services needed to succeed in school.

“I am excited to announce that with the new funding, we are partnering with MacArthur High School’s Principal McCray and Sojourner Truth Public Charter School’s Executive Director Justin Lessek to open two new schools this school year,” said CISNCAP Executive Director Rustin Lewis. “We will also add two new site coordinators at Eastern and HD Woodson High Schools.  Our expansion and deepening underscore the importance of providing a full-time site coordinator who can assess the needs of the students, build relationships, and mobilize resources.  One of my priorities is to expand and collaborate with school leaders who value relationship-centered student case management.”

CISNCAP recognizes the importance of fully supporting students. When students begin the school year with adequate resources, support, and a caring adult, they are more likely to attend school and graduate.

In the 2024-2025 academic year, we anticipate serving 5,300 students and case-managing 500 students across our 11-school network. This growth is made possible by the addition of four new coordinators, which will significantly enhance our capacity to provide Tier 1, 2, and 3 services.

By bringing caring adults into the schools to address children’s unmet needs, we provide the link between educators and the community. The result: teachers are free to teach, and students – many in jeopardy of dropping out – have the opportunity to focus on learning. Support our mission by becoming a donor. Your contribution will provide students with essential wraparound services, helping them overcome barriers and stay in school.

“GMA” looks at school attendance and the epidemic of absenteeism on the rise since the pandemic, which puts millions of American children at risk of falling behind.

https://abcnews.go.com/video/embed?id=113206687

Site Coordinator Phoebee Jean and Stanton Elementary School Principal Richardson.

WTOP news reporter Scott Gelman recently interviewed two CISNCAP Site Coordinators about their efforts to address chronic absenteeism at their school.

Kids were missing school because their clothes were dirty. A DC group stepped in to help

The Bowser Administration has proposed to cut funding for Community Schools in the 2025 budget plan. This decision has been met with concern by a coalition of organizations, including Mary’s Center, the Latin American Youth Center, the Washington Teachers Union, EmpowerEd, and School Talk (see picture). Collectively we visited several councilmember offices in the Wilson Building: Chairman Mendelson, Councilmembers R. White (At-Large), Bonds (At-Large), Henderson (At-Large), McDuffie (At-Large), Nadeau (Ward 1), Pinto (Ward 2), Frumin (Ward 3), George (Ward 4), Parker (Ward 5), Allen (Ward 6), Gray (Ward 7), Parker and T. White (Ward 8), urging them to reverse the proposed elimination of the Community Schools funding.
The proposed cuts are particularly alarming in light of the high truancy rates recorded during the last academic year. Six out of ten high school students in the District missed more than 10% of school days during the 2023-2024 academic year. The potential loss of this funding would have dire implications for students, families, and the community who rely on Community School coordinators for support. For instance, students would be deprived of crucial information about school and community resources, and assistance with navigating health services and promoting family involvement in school activities could also become more challenging. The withdrawal of Community Schools funding could exacerbate truancy rates, further complicating our community’s educational and social issues.
Therefore, we respectfully ask that the Mayor and Council reinstate funding for Community Schools next year. The future of our children depends on it.

Communities In Schools of the Nation’s Capital congratulates Many Hands for 20 years of supporting non-profits in the DC area. In a video highlighting their work, CISNCAP Executive Director, Dr. Rustin Lewis, comments on how support from Many Hands has helped CISNCAP support Washington, DC students. In 2023 CISNCAP was awarded the Many Hands Impact Grant.

Site Coordinators from Communities in Schools of the Nation’s Capital (CISNCAP) recently accompanied nearly 50 students from Eastern High School, Cardozo Education Campus, and HD Woodson High School to the HAHSTA (The HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis, STD and TB Administration) Youth Summit. The event, organized by DC Health, was held at the MLK Public Library and aimed to promote sexual health awareness and encourage early detection of STIs/HIV among high school students. During the Summit, students participated in physical activities, received STI/HIV screenings, and attended educational sessions. This strategic partnership between CISNCAP and DC Health broadened the support network for CISNCAP students, providing them with a community of support to help them stay in school and succeed.

CISNCAP has been awarded the 2024 fiscal year (FY) DC Community Schools Incentive Initiative Grant, totaling $316,535.82. This grant is aimed at enhancing the community school programs at Stuart Hobson Middle School and Stanton Elementary School. CISNCAP Director Dr. Lewis expressed excitement about receiving the grant and collaborating with the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), Principals Allen Richardson (Stanton Elementary School) and Eric Fraser (Stuart Hobson Middle School) to ensure that their students can receive case management support and a range of wraparound services offered by CISNCAP. Over the past five years, 65% of the students under our case management have shown improvement in attendance, 97% have improved their behavior, and 78% have improved their academics. Moreover, 95% of our case-managed students in grades K-11 progress to the next grade each year, while 99% of our seniors graduate. This collaborative approach has resulted in transformational outcomes for students enrolled in our ten partnering DCPS schools.

CISNCAP Site Coordinators: Asyja Smith, Vickie Freemen, Dextina Nebo and Yeabii Abebe

As Black History Month drew to a close and Women’s History Month began, the site coordinator for Communities in School at HD Woodson High School, Vickie Freeman, organized the Sister-Sister Vibes: Women Empowerment Brunch for approximately 40 students. The brunch was designed to introduce Black female students to the critical Divine Nine organizations, a group of nine historically African American fraternities and sororities that comprise the National Pan-Hellenic Council, and instill in them a strong sense of self-worth and empowerment in young black women, a goal Ms. Freeman is particularly passionate about. While the brunch focused on exposing Black female students to the four major Divine Nine organizations, Ms. Freeman also wanted the event to communicate to students a sense of self-worth and empowerment as young Black women. This message was echoed throughout the event as guest speakers Tia Brumsted, Education Assistant Superintendent for Health and Wellness Division of Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), and Dr. Faith Gibson-Hubbard, CISNCAP board member, emphasized the importance of sisterhood, community, and leadership as students prepared to embark on their journey after high school.

Ms. Brumsted shared with the students that she graduated from Spelman College [in Atlanta, Georgia], “I always knew that I was going to be a leader in some way. I always had those characteristics and had people in my life who told me that, but I didn’t fully understand it until I was in a safe environment. And so, seeing you all here today, from first-year students up to seniors to the amazing staff and community staff for this school, it is so amazing to know that you have this healing transformative space right in front of you every day already in high school.” Dr. Gibson-Hubbard noted in her comments to the students that the brunch itself was a reflection of the sisterhood that students could enjoy in sororities beyond HD Woodson. She stated, “…And know that there is plenty more sisterhood coming for you. This is just the beginning. There is so much more greatness.”

Following the event, Executive Director Rustin Lewis addressed a smaller group, highlighting that CISNCAP serves nearly 4,000 students across the District. Kudos to Vickie for her visionary approach to positively impacting female HD Woodson High School students. Thanks to H.D. Woodson High School leadership and staff for collaborating with CISNCAP on this successful event. The site coordinators tailor events and programming to meet the specific needs of their school community. He also expressed his gratitude for the unwavering support provided to our students by Ms. Brumsted and Dr. Gibson Hubbard through their inspiring words.

Please see the YouTube links for Ms. Tia Brumsted and Dr. Faith Gibson Hubbard’s inspiring presentations.

Dr. Gibson Hubbard: https://youtu.be/NSlPaZFQONc

Ms. Tia Brumsted: https://youtu.be/_fCLbWFOg0w

On Wednesday, January 17, 2024 Communities In Schools Executive Director, Dr. Rustin Lewis, participated in a panel on chronic absenteeism and truancy before the DC State Board of Education. Chronic absenteeism is defined as a student missing more than 10% of all school days, whether the absence is excused or unexcused. Over the course of a school year, that equates to over three weeks of missing classes. Dr. Lewis commented, “students are eager to attend and learn, and we are responsible for removing any obstacles that hinder them. Our Coordinators employ various successful methods to reduce chronic absenteeism: they provide incentives and recognition, offer support and intervention for students at risk of missing school, and create a positive and engaging environment.”    7News covered the event.