Press Release
CONTACT: Ashley Hall |[email protected]| 804.717.9305
Communities In Schools of Chesterfield Plans Continued Expansion
Affiliates in Virginia Win a National Grant to Address Student Achievement Gap
Chesterfield, VA – February 4, 2018 – Communities In Schools, the national organization that empowers at-risk students to stay in school and on a path to a brighter future, has announced that CIS of Chesterfield has been selected to share in $13 million in grant funding designed to promote program expansion.
The national grant would allow CIS of Chesterfield, with anticipated additional support from local fundraising and the Chesterfield County School Board, to expand into two additional schools. Working collaboratively with the School Board and school division’s senior leadership team, CIS of Chesterfield plans to expand to Falling Creek Elementary and L.C. Bird High School during the 2019-20 school year. This will strengthen feeder patterns already in existence within those two communities.
With a 110% increase in poverty since 2000, the needs and challenges in Chesterfield County are growing.
“Every day, we work with kids who come to school hungry, homeless, lacking medical care, or needing academic or behavioral support,” Communities In Schools of Chesterfield Executive Director Ashley Hall said. “This expansion will allow us to accelerate that work in our community and ensure more students have a bright future.”
The national grant requires a local match by Chesterfield County Public Schools. The local match is included in the Superintendent’s proposed Fiscal Year 2020 financial plan. Fundraising efforts by the CIS of Chesterfield Board of Directors already is underway.
“This is a great time for community partners to step forward and support CIS of Chesterfield’s efforts to support students in need,” CIS of Chesterfield Board of Directors Chair Bob Innes said. “The national grant and local government support are needed, but this expansion of services can’t move forward without the support of our business, civic, and faith communities.”
Companies, organizations, and individuals interested in donating, can visit cisofchesterfield.org/donate or contact [email protected]. If you want to become a CIS partner or school sponsor, reach out to [email protected].
The winning affiliates were selected in a competitive national grant process funded through a multimillion-dollar donation by AbbVie, a research-based global biopharmaceutical company. Recipients were chosen based on their ability to improve graduation rates, reduce chronic absenteeism, and increase college and career readiness for students in kindergarten through grade 12, especially in high-poverty neighborhoods.
Communities In Schools of Chesterfield collaborated with affiliates in Hampton Roads, Southwest Virginia, Northern Virginia, and the state office of Virginia to apply for this competitive grant. Locally, CIS of Chesterfield’s expansion of services to Falling Creek Elementary and L.C. Bird High will serve more than 2,600 more students. This will bring the number of Chesterfield County schools supported by CIS of Chesterfield to nine and almost 8,800 students.
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About Communities In Schools of Chesterfield
Communities In Schools of Chesterfield is part of the nation’s largest organization dedicated to empowering at-risk students to stay in school and on a path to a brighter future. Working directly inside seven high-needs schools across the county, we connect over 6,000 students to caring adults and community resources designed to help them succeed. We do whatever it takes to ensure that all kids—regardless of the challenges they may face—have what they need to realize their potential. For more information about Communities In Schools of Chesterfield, please visit www.CISofChesterfield.org.
