Empowering our students to be successful is the focus of Communities In Schools of Glynn County. An affiliate of the nation’s largest dropout prevention organization that serves over 1.4 million students nationally, CIS of Glynn County now serves students at 10 public schools in Glynn and McIntosh counties. Their mission is to surround students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life.
CIS believes every child needs and deserves “The Five Basics”:
- A personal, 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
To achieve this, they place dedicated staff members called Site Coordinators in local schools where they build strong relationships with students, parents, educators, and community members. CIS site coordinators identify barriers that prevent students from succeeding in school. The administrators and site coordinators then work together to develop individual plans and build teams of support.
The CIS Model provides three tiers of support for students based on an evidence-based framework that leads to proven success. Tier 1 involves school-wide services, Tier 2 consists of targeted programs, and Tier 3 is providing individualized support. Following a path from needs assessment through planning, integrated student supports with monitoring and adjusting and evaluation, the ultimate result is success.
During the 2023-24 school year, CIS of Glynn provided case management services to 546 students at nine schools in the Glynn County School System and 46 students at McIntosh County Academy in the McIntosh County School System (592 total students). After starting with a single program at Brunswick High School in the mid-2000s, CIS of Glynn expanded to serve students at 10 schools in 2023-24: Brunswick High School, Glynn Academy, Glynn Middle School, Jane Macon Middle School, Altama Elementary School, Burroughs-Molette Elementary School, Glyndale Elementary School, Goodyear Elementary School, the Glynn Learning Center and McIntosh County Academy.
As explained by CIS Executive Director Lynn Love, “Communities In Schools partners with the schools and family members to determine the root causes of the problems the student faces. We then coordinate and provide appropriate services and support to help put the young person on a path to success. The solutions are as varied as the challenges – from providing clothing, food and supplies, to arranging a doctor or dentist appointment, to addressing serious behavioral and mental health issues.” She expresses her appreciation for the parents, guardians, and families who trust CIS to step in and help in what are often very personal and difficult circumstances.
She credits the local school systems, business communities, foundations, governmental entities, and individual partners with working together with CIS to change lives. “Working hand-in-hand with teachers, counselors and school administrators, we devise the best strategies to address both academic and non-academic issues that students and their families face. Implementing the proven CIS model with fidelity and adhering to national TQS standards, our site coordinators case manage those students most at-risk of dropping out of school, tracking their academic, behavior and attendance data and providing the support they need to stay focused on the goal of graduation and success in life.”
This approach has clear rewards. Of the high school seniors in Glynn and McIntosh who received CIS services in the 2023-24 school year, 98 percent (53 students) graduated on time. Over the past seven years, only two students who received CIS services did not graduate on time. CIS contributed to overall graduation rates of 96.3 percent in Glynn County and 97 percent in McIntosh County in 2023 (most recent data available). Of the CIS students who graduated in 2024, 37 are enrolled in college or technical school, four entered an apprenticeship or certification program, eight entered the workforce and four entered the military.
Successful promotion to the next grade level is the goal for all students. At the close of the 2023-24 school year, promotion rates for students that CIS case managed were 97 percent in elementary school and 100 percent in middle school In high school, promotion rates for CIS students were: 9th grade – 86 percent; 10th grade – 95 percent; 11th grade – 98 percent.
While many of the issues that created challenges for students following the pandemic have subsided, Love is now seeing a new crisis affecting Glynn County students: gang involvement and violent criminal behavior. “Gang violence has a profound impact on at-risk youth, creating significant barriers to their success in school and beyond,” says Love. “These challenges extend far beyond the physical danger posed by such violence; they also encompass psychological, emotional and socioeconomic factors that hinder academic achievement and personal development. For many at-risk youth, gangs provide a sense of belonging, identity and protection. However, this comes at a steep cost, as gang involvement perpetuates a cycle of violence that continues to harm our community. We must come together to address this issue and find solutions so that we can provide an environment in which our young people feel safe and their ability to learn and function in society is not jeopardized.”
CIS of Glynn works diligently to keep promotion rates high from the elementary to high school level, including at the Golden Isles College and Career Academy campus, and has successfully kept graduation rates at 100% for the majority of their nearly 20 years of service dedicated to students in Glynn County and now McIntosh County as well. Visit cisofglynn.org for more information about their services about how you can help them as they continue to empower our students and keep them on a path to success.
A fun way to show your support for CIS of Glynn is to enjoy a day on the water and a night of community celebration and dancing at the 3rd Annual "Tripling the Impact" Triple Tail Classic on Saturday, April 26. Funds raised from the tournament will directly support CIS of Glynn and their mission to supply the at-risk students of the Glynn and McIntosh County School Systems with whatever they need to be successful in school, continue to the next grade level or graduate, and achieve in life.
The day will start and end in the beautiful setting of the Gascoigne Dock and Pavilion on St. Simons Island – a new venue for the event this year. Teams participating in the Triple Tail Classic will be "lines-in" at 7:00 a.m. and return to the dock for a weigh-in at 4:00 p.m. Prizes will be awarded for the biggest fish in first, second and third places. Registration fee is $100 per angler and includes captain’s meeting, fishing, band party ticket, and entry prize. The Band Party once again featuring popular local 80s cover band Squirt Gun will begin at 5:00 p.m. The great music will be accompanied by a Low Country Boil from City Market. Everyone is invited! Band Party tickets are $35/person or $65/couple and include food, drink tickets, and koozie. Let’s hope for great weather to celebrate this fun evening for the whole family. Whether you fish or not, this is your chance to bring your crew out to enjoy the party and support CIS of Glynn and the at-risk youth in our community.
To learn more about the tournament, sign up your angling team, purchase band party tickets, or become a sponsor, visit cisofglynn.org/tripletail-classic.
