LATEST NEWS FROM CIS l FALL 2021
Back in Our Schools: The "Shadow Pandemic"
The devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education is being referred to as “the shadow pandemic.” As a result of school closures and remote learning, millions of children have fallen behind academically and have experienced isolation and social-emotional trauma. Alarmingly, an estimated three million kids have gone missing from classrooms nationwide. Local data reflects national data, with thousands of CMS students "missing" from school rosters.

Unfortunately, the shadow pandemic is making our work at CIS more difficult. School closures and instructional interruption have both illuminated and magnified the persistent disparities that already existed within our community. The pandemic has put our most vulnerable students at risk, especially those who disappeared from school last year. CIS is working in coordination with CMS to locate and reengage as many missing students as possible, while at the same time continuing to support our students who are not "missing" but who have academic deficits and social-emotional trauma that needs to be addressed as well. We anticipate the size and scope of the need to be greater than anything we have experienced in our 37-year history.
Q&A with Intensive Case Manager Alaina Williams

We recently sat down with, Alaina Williams, an Intensive Case Manager with CIS at Harding University High School, to do a brief "Q & A" and hear first-hand what it's like to be back in the schools and the challenges she is seeing.

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CIS is a school-based program and currently has services available at these 54 CMS schools. If you know a student/family who attends one of these schools that would benefit from CIS services, please direct them to this Parent Inquiry Form on our website.
Jon Davis to serve as CIS Board Chair for 2021-22
CIS is pleased to announce Jon Davis as our new Board Chair for the 2021-22 year. Jon has served on the Board since 2015 and has chaired multiple board committees, including Brand Awareness/Marketing, Human Resources, Governance, and the Executive committee.

Jon is a Davidson College graduate where he played football and came to Charlotte after growing up in Crystal Beach, Florida. Professionally, Jon is a consultant, facilitator, producer, and writer for organizations, people, and school systems. He is the co-founder and curator of Making Room, which is a creative platform inspiring people to see themselves in each other. Read more about Jon and his involvement with CIS

Welcome to these New CIS Board Members
CIS is excited to welcome the following individuals to our Board of Directors:

Brad Brown, Ally Financial Inc.
Heath Campbell, Truist
Ty Chandler, AvidXchange

We are grateful to all of our board members for the time and talent they devote to leading our organization and keeping our students at the center of everything we do. Click here to see a full list of our current Board of Directors.
Mark Your Calendar for CIS Giving Week! November 7-14
Are you All In For Kids ?? We hope your answer is a resounding "YES!" and that you will mark your calendar for Nov. 7-14, 2021. During our week of giving, we will shine a spotlight on CIS, the needs and challenges of our students and schools - and how YOU can make a difference. Stay tuned for more details!
CIS Graduate Kayla Witherspoon Pays It Forward
In 2008, CIS-Charlotte senior Kayla Witherspoon would never have dreamed that just a little over a decade later, she would be providing academic scholarships to graduating high school seniors like herself. Fast forward to the spring of 2021: Kayla re-connected with CIS and decided to give back by providing scholarship support to a 2021 CIS graduate. Read More

Community Partner Spotlight: B.B. Dance Productions
B.B. Dance Productions, a long-time community partner with CIS, recently teamed up with Premier Home Advisors KW and CrossCountry Mortgage to hold a book bag drive for CIS students. Hundreds of book bags filled with school supplies were donated to CIS just as school began!

In addition to school supplies, however, B.B. Dance Productions has been donating much more to CIS students over the years in the form of dance scholarships. Read more about this special partnership!
Charlotte Knights "Safe At Home" Grant
Many thanks to the Charlotte Knights for their recent "Safe At Home" grant to CIS and the opportunity to share our story at the Charlotte Knights game on Sept. 14. It was a beautiful night for a ball game and our "CIS Team" had a great time!
Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month!
CIS is proud to recognize Hispanic Heritage Month, celebrated Sept. 15 - Oct. 15, and the diversity of our students. Nearly 30% of CIS students identify as Hispanic or Latinx. Meet Tessa and Jordan, two of our students at Rama Road Elementary, who are proud of their Hispanic/Latinx heritage and how CIS helps them feel very much at home in school and in America. Their CIS Site Coordinator, Deianira Perez, is originally from Puerto Rico but has lived in the U.S. for over 30 years.
Tessa
I’m Tessa, a 5th grade student at Rama Road elementary. I was born in New York. My father is from California and my mother is from Ecuador. I feel proud that I’m able to speak another language because I get to communicate with others in a different way. 
Jordan
My name is Jordan and I want to tell you about my experience of being Hispanic. I’m originally from Colombia. In 2018 my parents decided to move to Houston, Texas. Eventually we moved to Charlotte and I started second grade at Rama Road Elementary. I didn’t know English, and I was very scared not knowing what I will