About Us

Who are we?
Communities In Schools of Washington is part of the nation’s leading dropout prevention organization. Our mission is to surround students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life. We do our work in 12 communities around the state, and helped more than 46,000 students last year alone.

What makes us unique?
What sets Communities In Schools apart from other dropout prevention organizations is the way we coordinate existing community services to address all the issues of the struffling student, right at school. We do this by placing staff, called site coordinators, inside schools to connect students at risk of dropping out with resources and services to get them back on track.

The site coordinator assesses school and individual student needs. Through relationships with local businesses, social service agencies, healthcare providers, community volunteers, service clubs, parent groups, and other organizations, the site coordinator works to break down the barriers that prevent a student from succeeding in school.

Communities In Schools helps kids overcome challenges both inside and outside the classroom so they can do their best in school. Whether kids need mentors, tutors, school supplies, clothing, dental care, eyeglasses–even a backpack of food to get them through the weekend–the site coordinator is there to help. When students come to school ready to learn, teachers are freed to teach, which benefits the individual student, their classmates, and the whole school.

Why does it matter?
When students drop out it affects all of us. High school dropouts are more likely to live in poverty or earn thousands less over a working lifetime, suffer poor health, be dependent on social services, or enter the criminal justice system. These young people’s lives fall apart, which in turn impacts our communities. Every time we see a struggling student through to graduation, we’re giving that young person hope, a chance to pursue a dream, and an opportunity to contributes to our community.