Communities in Schools on Do Good CLT Podcast
Communities in Schools on Do Good CLT Podcast
The month of August is Black Philanthropy Month. In partnership with SHARE Charlotte, Do Good Charlotte is highlighting nonprofits that are black-led and benefitting. In our last podcast blog, we talked about The FACTS Initiative, an organization that provides mental health services to underserved children and families who don’t traditionally receive care. The next black-led and benefitting organization we would like to highlight is Communities in Schools (CIS).
Communities in Schools works with children in 55 Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) which have high percentages of low-income students. Their mission is to surround students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life. On this episode of Do Good Charlotte, Host Pamela Escobar is joined by CIS president and CEO Men Tchaas Ari, Bryani Woods, who was a CIS student about eight years ago, and Jaliah Wilson, a CIS student who just graduated from high school.
In Charlotte, one in every two schools is considered high-poverty. This means that a lot of students within CMS do not have the ideal home life, and unfortunately, this can negatively impact their performance in school. Having recognized this issue, Communities in Schools has made it their goal to remove such barriers to learning, equipping every single student with the tools they need to succeed. They have formed a partnership with CMS, offering case management support to over 6,000 students. Jaliah Wilson was one of these students.
In middle school, Jaliah’s Grandma sadly passed away and she was really struggling with the loss. One of her teachers noticed a change in her behavior and referred her to CIS. She started meeting with a site coordinator right away. They built a mutually trusting relationship where they worked together to help Jaliah process, understand, and cope with her emotions. With support from CIS, she was able to overcome adversity. Jaliah has been a part of CIS all throughout her middle and high school careers. This past June, she graduated from high school and is currently attending NC A&T as an honors student majoring in graphic design.
“Communities in Schools has been a foundation for me to grow and develop within school and also within myself.” - Jaliah Wilson
Jaliah is a leader in the making. Jaliah is the future. An investment in CIS is an investment in our future. To make a donation, volunteer with CIS, or learn more, please visit CIS’s SHARE Charlotte Profile here.
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